


Wild Arms: To the End of the Wilderness

by EstrelitaFarr



Category: Wild ARMs, Wild ARMs Altercode: F
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Gen, Hopeful Ending, Novelization
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:15:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 54,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28300719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EstrelitaFarr/pseuds/EstrelitaFarr
Summary: Filgaia, a barren wasteland. A lone wanderer with a weapon deemed cursed, a treasure hunter seeking power, a shaman princess linked to the Guardians of the world, drawn together by a common goal like migratory birds of the wilderness. Then, before their very eyes, the sky begins to crack – the demons from a past war have returned. Full novelisation. A NaNoWriMo 2014 winner.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 4





	1. Cover and Foreword

**Wild Arms: To the End of the Wilderness**   
**Foreword**

**To those who have played Wild Arms / Wild Arms Alter Code: F:**

Two of my favourite games in the world, and their soundtracks are my absolute favourite for years until now! Now you know where this novelisation’s subtitle came from. :D This novelisation is based more on WAACF, though I’ll be stealing bits and pieces from WA whenever I feel like it!

**To those who have not played Wild Arms / Wild Arms Alter Code: F:**

You should, they’re great games! If you’re new to Wild Arms series in general, I recommend playing Wild Arms Alter Code: F, since it’s an enhanced remake of Wild Arms and we get to see the characters in all of their 3D glory, plus the lines are better. If you don’t really want to play the game but want to know the story, no worries, _Wild Arms: To the End of the Wilderness_ is written as though the readers have never heard of Wild Arms before. :D

**To those who have / have not played Wild Arms 2, 3, 4, 5 or XF:**

I don’t know about you, but I treat each of the Wild Arms series as separate games with recurring themes, so there won’t be any (or much) spoilers from the other games. I’ve played most of them, too, and my favourites are 1, 2 and ACF! I didn’t like 3 so much, and I didn’t enjoy the hexagonal turn-based battle system for 4 onwards, but I still love their soundtracks!

**To those who have / have not played Wild Arms Million Memories:**

To be honest, I only found out about this game _after_ it shut down… but it was Japanese-only, so not that I could have played it anyway. Wish I could have, though, the opening movie looks so good. xD

**To those who have / have not watched Wild Arms: Twilight Venom:**

What, watch? What do you mean? Like a movie? Yes, Wild Arms series has its very own anime! But like the series itself, the anime is a separate story from the games with a recurring theme. It’s interesting, I guess, but I prefer the games. :)

**To every reader in general:**

I recommend listening to the soundtracks! And of course, hopefully you’ll enjoy reading this. :D

**Thanks and credits:**

Thanks to Media Vision for making a great game, and an even greater remake of it!

Thanks to Michiko Naruke for the great soundtracks that have been my favourites until now!

Thanks to Chris Baty and team for founding and hosting NaNoWriMo!

Thanks to my buddy Diana-HND for the WAACF fan art while I was in a NaNo writing slump! It was a great morale booster. xP

Thanks to Krysmphoenix at LPArchive for Let’s Play WAACF! It makes a good reference material. :D

And thanks to you for reading!

**Disclaimer:**

_Wild Arms: To the End of the Wilderness_ is written by Estrelita Farr, who does not own anything from the actual games. And a terrible curse shall befall those who try to steal this story. xO

**Special note to everyone in 2020:**

Don’t lose heart! As the lyrics of Wild Arms 2nd Ignition’s opening say, you’re not alone!

Here’s the English-translated lyrics of the song sung by the WATARIDORI Band in June 2020 ([link to video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4IX9DQDKDk)), hopefully it will raise your spirits. :D

_You’re not alone, anytime and anywhere_

_When I can’t hold back my tears,  
_ _you depart for the last battle with comrades  
_ _Promise me that you come back here  
_ _even if you go far away_

_You’re not alone, anytime and anywhere  
__and never let go of your hand_ _  
__I believe our bonds and passions,  
__and they keep us looking for the same dream_

_Whenever the wind changes, whenever the weather changes,  
_ _my whistle sounds like phew  
_ _Take these fallen feathers of migratory birds, and add your warmth_

_Over and over, I repeat inside,  
_ _”You’re not alone, anytime and anywhere. Neither am I.”  
_ _Though we get to a place beyond time,  
_ _our journey and the wilderness never end_

_You’re not alone, anytime and anywhere  
_ _and never let go of your hand  
_ _I believe our bonds and passions,  
_ _and, from now on, they keep us looking for…_

_Though I’m exhausted with no night, I can move forward  
_ _There’s something special to protect_  
_Even on this dilapidated Filgaia,  
_ _where there is a will, there is a way_

**End of Foreword.**


	2. Prologue: Remorse and Promise

**Wild Arms: To the End of the Wilderness**  
**Prologue: Remorse and Promise**  
Written by Estrelita Farr

A snowstorm raged, the night sky a great blanket of rushing white. A gigantic fire blazed, a bright golden orange against the grey walls. A blast shot across the castle, like the roar of a creature threatening to destroy aught and all. The clash of swords. A scream. A momentary silence. Another clash, another crash, and another silence. Then, in the light of the flickering torches, the deep blue armour on a large figure gleamed.

Another blast. And another.

Garret gritted his teeth as he ran through the hallway, as he caught glimpses of fallen knights on the floor. His heart blazed as bright as the flames consuming the castle, his hand burnt with the urge to draw his blade for revenge… but no, he had to tear his eyes away, to fulfil his duty as a Fenril Knight to protect the royal family. He sped up, short blond hair bright against the light of the torches as he joined the commander, a fellow knight and the prince.

The four of them continued on, their footsteps loud, rapid. Through hallway after hallway, across a long stone bridge that stretched across a great abyss. There, at the end, was a stone platform held up with thick ropes.

They slowed to a stop on the platform, and the commander pulled the floor lever. The giant wheel at its side turned, and with loud clicking sounds, the platform inched its way across the abyss.

The prince sank to his knees. “I’m exhausted! Can’t we slow down?!”

The commander shook his head. “I’m afraid not, Your Highness. We have no other option to run since we’re in the dark about their intentions. As the Fenril Knights, our duty is to protect the king.”

“ _Preposterous!_ Now that my brother has fallen, I’m the king!” He swung a hand. “Listen, Commander, with or without a coronation, I AM the king!”

“Huh.” Garret crossed his arms. “You’re nothing without our help. Just try getting out on your own!”

The commander shot him a glare. “Silence, Garret! We’re in the presence of the king. You are to serve His Majesty.”

“…tch.”

A shrill shriek. All eyes shot upward in time to see three metallic demons landing on their platform. The prince screamed, eyes wide. The three knights raised their weapons, eyes narrowed.

_Flash._

The creatures shrieked as they disappeared into the abyss below. The knights relaxed, their weapons coated with metallic blood.

The prince sprang to his feet, clapping his hands. “Bravo, Fenril Knights! Bravo! Those creatures never had a chance!”

The third knight shook his head. “A surprise attack in the snowstorm… maybe they’re after… Commander, maybe they’re after the Cocoon?”

“The Cocoon…” The commander nodded. “It’s a possibility. Do you think the Cocoon is worth something to them?”

The prince gasped. “ _What?!_ They came to get my Cocoon?! No, Commander, don’t let them take it! They’ll use it for no good!”

Garret really wished he could silence this ‘king’… that annoying, whiny voice was grating on his nerves.

The platform slowed to a stop and touched the end of another stone bridge. The four hurried on through the hallway, passing more pillars with burning torches, and eventually emerged in a great hall.

There, in the dim light of the torches, what resembled a giant metallic cocoon hung in mid-air, wrapped in metal chains. Eyes focused onto it, the four men slowed to a stop.

The prince sighed. “What a relief… the Cocoon is safe.”

Footsteps.

The three knights sprang into a battle stance, weapons drawn, then relaxed at the sight of a young woman in crimson light armour. She limped towards them, her sword and dishevelled brown hair covered in blood, her left thigh wrapped in a bloody bandage.

Garret’s eyes widened. “Elmina! Your leg!”

Elmina sighed. “And my nickname is supposed to be the Sword Princess, huh? Anyhow, Commander…” Her eyes narrowed. “Was the rest of the group…?”

The commander just closed his eyes and nodded.

Silence.

Suddenly, a cry from the third knight. Everyone spun around, and their eyes widened at the sight of him falling, a gigantic axe impaled in his chest. He crashed onto the floor, unmoving, with wide glassy eyes that made the prince yelp.

Yet there was no one else in the hall with them.

The prince trembled. “Argh… w-who could take down a knight so… so easily?”

As though to answer him, another burst of light in mid-air. From within, something appeared from a warp – at first glance it seemed to be human, from the golden full helmet-like head and the white-and-gold magic robe… but the shape of its body was long, like that of a large four-legged creature. From beneath the concealing robe, two metallic claws extended like a pair of golden three-bladed knives, and a long metal tail waved, the end sharpened like another blade.

“Greetings, humans,” came a metallic, rasping voice from behind the helmet. “I am the demon Alhazad.”

“Nonsense!” Garret cried. “The demons were destroyed a long time ago!”

“And yet, here I am in front of you… but I am afraid I have no time for this nonsense. Let us get down to business. I ask of you an object which you call the Cocoon.”

The knights raised their weapons… but the prince shuffled forward with a nervous smile, head lowered, hands raised.

“Y-yes, by all means, go ahead and take it!” he cried. “Take anything you wish! Just, please, spare my life!”

“No, Your Majesty!” the commander cried. “You mustn’t!”

The prince’s eyes widened as rings of red and black light surrounded him, then – without even a sound – collapsed onto the floor with wide, glassy eyes.

“My sincere apologies,” Alhazad said, waving his golden claw, “All I can give you in return is a painless death. You will just have to live with it.” Then he cackled, a rasping, metallic sound.

“You bastard! How dare you!” Hand on the hilt of his katana, Garret started forward.

The commander blocked him with a hand. “No, Garret! You and Elmina must escape from Arctica Castle! Let everyone in Filgaia know what has happened here!”

Garret opened his mouth to protest, but Elmina nodded and grabbed his arm. With no other choice he followed her, and together they disappeared down another hallway.

The commander’s eyes narrowed, hands tightly gripping his sword, then charged with a yell.

Alhazad cackled once more, spreading his golden claws.

The instant they clashed in the middle, a great burst of light engulfed the hall.

-o-o-o-o-o-

They ran and ran, through hallway after hallway, the pillars of torches rushing by like a blur. Soon Elmina slowed to a limp, gasping for breath, one hand on the wall for support. Garret glanced over a shoulder at her and stopped. His heart blazed, as bright as the flames consuming the castle, and he slammed a fist on the wall.

“Hey, Garret,” Elmina called, “You’re a bigger coward than I thought.”

He spun around. “ _What_? What are you talking about? Why are you calling me a _coward_?!”

“You have no courage… you’re probably thinking of a way to defeat the demon now, aren’t you?”

“Of course! No matter what it takes, I’ll KILL that thing!”

She took a step towards him. “So you call throwing away your life courage? You think fighting an unbeatable enemy is courage? I won’t hear of it!” Her eyes softened. “Look at your terrible wound…”

Garret shook his head. “It’s not as bad as yours, Elmina.”

She pulled a green ribbon from her hair and wrapped it around his bleeding right arm. “We won’t be able to defeat them yet. I know it’s hard to admit… but fighting them now isn’t courage.” 

“Then what do you consider a _brave_ thing to do?”

Then, a rasping, metallic chuckle. “I do hate to interrupt your tender moment…”

Elmina gasped. “Run, Garret!”

Once again they ran, through hallway after hallway, the pillars of torches rushing by like a blur. Garret’s heart blazed, but he knew – Elmina was right. There was no way he could defeat the demon as he was now. All they could do was to escape, escape and tell the entire Filgaia what happened, then return here once they were strong enough…

The open front gate of the castle soon loomed into view, and beyond that, a great blanket of rushing white. The cold seeped into Garret’s silver armour as he stepped into the snowstorm.

A loud clank.

Garret spun around, eyes wide, but it was too late – the metal grate had slammed shut between them.

“Elmina!” he cried. “What are you doing, Elmina?!”

On the other side, a sad smile. “I can’t escape with this wound.”

He slammed on the grate. “Open the gate, Elmina! You’re the one who said wasting your life isn’t courage!”

“I’m not wasting my life. I’m fighting to protect something important to me. We gain nothing from fighting the demon, or from violence, but at least I can protect what’s mine. I gain nothing, but I lose nothing.” She closed her eyes, head held high, but her body trembled. “Garret… I don’t want to lose you.”

“Nor I you!” He slammed the grate again. “Open the gate, Elmina! I’ll fight with you! _Open the gate_!”

Her eyes snapped open, blue eyes blazing with determination. “No, Garret! You must tell the world what happened here! Don’t worry about me, I have no intention of dying here. I’m the Sword Princess, remember?” She turned away, just as something glimmered at her eyes. “Besides, the ribbon I wrapped around your arm is expensive… I can’t die until I get it back.”

Then, Alhazad the white-robed demon appeared from a distorted warp, with a low, rasping chuckle. “There you are. It was not easy finding you. You are the last humans left in this castle – it is your turn to die now.”

Elmina whirled around to face the demon, raising the gleaming blade in front of her. “Have courage, Garret! Go on and take this memory with you! Deliver the Fenril spirit to our friends!”

“Elmina!” Garret cried with another bang on the grate.

“Run, Garret! You can overcome anything!”

His heart roared, blazing with the desire to join her side… but he knew. Elmina was right. If they both died here, the world of Filgaia would never know the demons returned, would never be prepared for their attack… and would be wiped out without warning like the entire Arctica Castle. He gritted his teeth, lowered his head.

“I… I will return the ribbon to you soon, Elmina…” His voice was soft, shaking.

Her lips curled into a sad smile, the final smile that burnt into his mind as he tore his eyes away, as he sped into the snowstorm.

“Keep running!” he heard Elmina shout. “Don’t look back!”

“There is no way out.” Alhazad gave a rasping chuckle. “You are noble and beautiful… can you not see? My body is trembling with joy.”

A clash of metal against metal.

Garret’s heart blazed, but he ran. His heart screamed, screamed at him to turn back, to help Elmina, but he ran. He had to honour Elmina’s last wish, to escape and tell the world what happened. His heart blazed, burning flames that rivalled the storm’s cold.

The wind howled around him, like creatures waiting to shred him apart. The snow wrapped around him, threatening to bury him. Shoulders heaving, lungs burning, he forced himself to run.

His knees buckled. His trembling body collapsed onto the snow.

No, he had to get up. He had to run.

Clenching his teeth, he forced himself up once more. His arm burnt, the arm that Elmina’s bloody green ribbon wrapped around.

Elmina. He wanted to stay by her side.

No, he mustn’t. He mustn’t look back.

Elmina. In the end he never got to tell her his feelings for her.

N-no, he mustn't…

Elmina… _Elmina!_

His resolve faltered. Slowly, he turned.

In the distance, the castle burnt, staining the dark sky red. Red, like the blood on Elmina’s dishevelled brown hair.

The sight burnt into his mind. Burning, like the flames that consumed the castle.

Then, in the raging snowstorm… Garret threw his head towards the sky and screamed.

  


**End of Prologue.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas and happy holidays 2020, everyone, and here’s my gift to you – a Wild Arms novelisation! Whee! (fireworks everywhere!)
> 
> I’ll be posting a chapter weekly, sometime on weekends, so stay tuned!
> 
> And hopefully you’ll enjoy this as much as I did. :D


	3. One: Alone in the World

**Wild Arms: To the End of the Wilderness**  
**Chapter One: Alone in the World**  
Written by Estrelita Farr

A gentle wind, flowing through the valley like a river. The leaves of the trees whispered, the grass waving as though listening to a silent tune. The adolescent boy smiled as the wind ruffled his short azure hair, the bandanna around his head fluttering like wings of a red bird, his sleeveless red jacket fidgeting as though restless. He stopped to feel the wind’s caress on his face, to listen to the chirps of the birds, but seconds later the chestnut horse whinnied for his attention. He chuckled, pretended to scold the horse, and resumed grooming.

The gentle wind blew.

A moment later the gate creaked open. The ranch owner approached, eyes wide as he cast a sweeping glance around. “Whew, the ranch looks twice as big now that you’ve cleaned it! Good work, boy! I hired you through the village chief, but I didn’t expect you to work so hard!”

The adolescent boy gave a shy smile and nodded.

“Oh, I still don’t know your name… I keep calling you, uh, boy. What’s your name?”

A pause. A soft voice, barely above a whisper. “Rudy.”

“Huh? What? Pokey?”

He flushed. “R- _Rudy_!”

“Oh, Rudy. Well, I did hear from the chief that you’re the quiet sort.” He patted the boy’s shoulder. “But don’t worry about it, Rudy. You’re a good worker, you’re stronger than you look, and best of all, you take care of my horses as though you understand their feelings. And you’re, what, fifteen? Better than my own lazy son, and he’s fifteen, too!” He grinned. “Why don’t stay here at Surf and work for us?”

Another pause. Rudy thought hard – what should he say? – when the ranch owner suddenly burst into laughter.

“I’m just kidding! I know you’re a wanderer. Here’s the payment for your time. It’s not much, but it’s all I can afford.”

His eyes widened. What he received was not one, not two, but _five_ heal berries! Such a valuable item in this rapidly decaying world… and all he had to do was to work a day at the ranch? He opened his mouth to protest–

The ranch owner smiled. “Thank you very much for your work today. I’ll ask you for your help again, I’m sure! Say hello to the chief for me, won’t you?” With that, he left for his house on the other end of the ranch.

Rudy heaved a sigh – he had been travelling around Filgaia for a year now, but he still couldn’t speak properly when faced with another person. What would his grandfather say if he were here?

His heart ached at the thought of his late grandfather. He shook his head, forcing his mind to focus on the task at hand.

No, he had to be strong… he had promised his grandfather.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Sometime later, once Rudy had finished up at the ranch and locked the gates, he strode down the path towards the village chief’s house where he was staying. The ranch’s side of the village was still covered in green grass, but the ground grew more dry and brown as he walked, a sign of the world decaying. The wind blew once more, bringing another smile to his face, but that smile would fade the moment someone greeted him, his body tensed as he tried to respond. In the end he just gave a curt nod and the smallest smile at everyone as he hurried on his way.

“Hey, Rudy!”

He jumped and shot an upward glance.

Sitting atop of a haystack was a young boy about eight, who leapt lightly onto the ground in front of him. What was his name again? Tony?

“Thanks for the hard work!” Tony grinned. “Hey, do you know about Holy Berries?” 

Rudy blinked – Holy Berries? – and shook his head.

“Hah, that’s what I thought! Let me tell you what I just read!” He cleared his throat. “A Holy Berry is a very effective herb, which people say grows in a cave near here. When used, any injured person can be healed, and their strength revived. Sounds much stronger than a normal heal berry, doesn’t it?”

A nod.

“Well, it’s supposedly quite rare. If only I had a Holy Berry…” A pause. “No, it’s nothing. Never mind. Bye!” Then he dashed away like a whirlwind, leaving Rudy to wonder – did he come all the way here just to tell him about Holy Berries?

The rest of the way to the village chief’s house was rather uneventful, allowing him to enjoy the wind. Once he reached the large wooden house, he tapped lightly on the open door before stepping inside.

At his usual seat in the study was the village chief – a balding old man in a suit with a short white beard – poring over papers through small round glasses. He looked up as the boy entered and smiled.

“Hello, Rudy,” he said. “You seem to be settling in well. I understand the horses are thriving under your care.”

Rudy gave a soft smile and nodded.

“Hm, there must be something I can give you to show our gratitude… ah, there is something. In the storage room just down the hall, you’ll find a supply of bombs in a box. Please take them.”

Bombs? But these would cost a lot of money in other towns. He shook his head quickly, holding his hands up.

He chuckled. “No, I insist. They’re worthless to the village now, but they might be useful to you. We once used them to explore from the Berry Cave to the west, but that was so very long ago.” He gave a sigh as he gestured outside the window, where the dry, barren wasteland spread as far as eyes could see. “The world is decaying, Rudy… even here in Surf Village. Every year it takes longer and longer for the plants to bud…”

His eyes softened.

“Ah, forgive me, sometimes an old man’s mind wanders.” He smiled again. “Go on, help yourself to the bombs.”

It seemed Rudy didn’t get to say no, after all. He muttered a thank you and obliged by heading through the door to the aforementioned storage room.

Among the boxes on the shelves was a small wooden box labelled ‘Explosives’, packed to the brim with tiny black bombs the size of cherries. Looking at these cute little things, it was difficult to imagine they could even pop a crate open… but on the bright side, a few of them fitted nicely in the chest pocket of his sleeveless red jacket or the back pockets of his blue pants. The rest he packed neatly in his backpack upstairs with his other belongings.

Just as he stepped back downstairs, however, a man came rushing into the hall and then the study. “Chief! _Chief!_ We’ve got a _serious_ problem!”

The village chief stood up, a deep frown on his wrinkled face. The other man waved his hands wildly as he spoke rapidly between heavy breaths – Tony, that mischievous kid, broke the village ban and went to the Berry Cave that was once the source of a great medicinal herb… now a den of monsters.

The chief heaved a deep sigh, shaking his head. “That boy… why would he do something so foolish…”

The other man’s eyes widened further. “W-what should we do?”

Silence. The old man’s head lowered as he paced up and down, clenching his hands together. A moment later, he stopped and looked up. “In any case, keep it a secret for now. I will explain to the villagers later. We don’t want to start a panic.”

“Y-yes, sir!” The man nodded and sped back outside.

The village chief sank back into his seat at the table, head lowered.

Eyes narrowed in concern, Rudy approached him.

He looked up. “Oh, Rudy. That goes to you too. You shouldn’t tell anyone about Tony breaking the village ban; we don’t need anyone running off and playing hero. We need to come up with a plan.”

The boy gave a nod, then left the chief to his thoughts and returned upstairs to his room.

Outside, through the window, the village was still quiet, calm. The wind continued to blow, casting the illusion of peace with the hushing of the trees, the nodding of the flowers… but Rudy’s heart felt cold at the thought of the lone boy in the darkness.

Why? Why did Tony ignore the ban to enter the Berry Cave, when the place had become a den of monsters? Especially after he had mentioned the Holy Berries… and how long was the village chief planning to keep this quiet? Perhaps there was no one in the village who could defeat those monsters…

Slowly, Rudy’s gaze turned towards his weapon leaning against the wall. A long weapon – longer than his arm – tightly wrapped in white cloth, as though to hide from the eyes of the world. He held it in his hands, his fingers tingling at the touch right through the gloves.

A gift from his late grandfather, a weapon he had promised to use only to protect, yet a weapon he kept hidden. He hoped he didn’t need to use it – not in a peaceful village like this – but in a den of monsters, his novice swordplay might not be enough.

And so, armed with a store-bought sword at his waist and his grandfather’s weapon on his back, crimson eyes narrowed, he headed west.

-o-o-o-o-o-

A ten minutes’ walk away from Surf Village, at the side of the valley, was a cave entrance blocked by a wooden gate, its ceiling at least two stories high. Just below a burning torch was a wooden sign that said, “DANGER! MONSTER DEN! DO NOT PROCEED!”

The man at the entrance – the one who told the chief about Tony – jumped at the sound of footsteps, then relaxed when he saw who it was.

“Oh… did the chief speak with you?” He sighed. “If he has, then you already know.”

Rudy nodded.

“I still can’t believe it. I hope Tony’s all right. I turn my back for one second…” Another sigh. “Under our law, all who live in Surf Village are prohibited from entering this cave. What should we do?” 

A pause. He gestured to himself.

“You want to enter the cave? But…” He clapped his hands together. “ _Of course!_ You’re not from our village, so you’re not bound by our law!” He unlatched the gate as he handed the boy a burning torch. “But be careful – the chief originally had the cave shut down because of a savage brain-eating monster living inside. At night you can hear its nails SCREECHING on the cave wall.”

His eyes widened.

“Sounds like a horror story, doesn’t it? But it’s true. We don’t even know what the cave looks like anymore because of that thing.” He shook his head. “I know it’s not right of us to ask you, but please, if you could, please rescue Tony.”

Rudy gave another nod and, with eyes narrowed with determination, stepped through the gate. It slammed shut behind him, followed by the click of the latch.

The cave tunnel was long, winding. The darkness seemed to close in to him, as though to swallow him whole. His muscles tense, he focused on his senses as he stepped cautiously forward, with the crackling torch in his left hand and the sword drawn in his right. He hoped he would make it to Tony in time…

A growl from the right. 

Rudy stopped. Placing the torch on the ground, he held the sword in front of him, gripping the hilt with both hands.

A moment passed, then a roar. A rush of movement. He leapt to the side and slashed twice. A sharp growl. Both of them drew back, gazing at each other as Rudy took in his opponent’s features.

A giant armoured lizard, more than twice as long as he was tall. The horns on its head long and sharp, its black body gleaming in the light of the torch where there were two scratch marks from the sword. Head lowered for a bash, it charged.

Gritting his teeth, Rudy threw himself to the side. He started running as his mind worked quickly. An armoured body; slashes wouldn’t do much damage. Its weak point was probably the eyes or the throat… he wasn’t confident he could strike those places without missing, but he had to try.

The creature charged. A leap, a slash. A roar. Blood dripping from the side of its head – he missed. But he tried again, and again.

Eventually, the creature lay unmoving on the floor as Rudy stood over it, shoulders heaving.

He sighed – it had been one year already, he should have been used to a sword by now… but it still felt unnatural, still felt _wrong_ in his hands. He longed to use the weapon on his back, the weapon that _connected_ with him…

But no, he shouldn’t. He mustn’t. He had to remember why he wrapped it tightly in the first place… why he had to keep it that way.

The cave tunnel went on, deeper and deeper. Remnants of the village’s past herb harvest remained – dusty, empty barrels everywhere, room-like caves with broken beds, rope ladders that snapped the moment Rudy grabbed them – and every so often he would turn a corner and meet with a growl and a charge.

But he was used to battle. Light on his feet, with strength beyond his years, even with novice swordplay he was able to bring down these lizards one at a time.

Eventually the tunnel widened into a bigger cave. He paused. No growls, no bared fangs. Holding up the torch, he stepped forward cautiously, then caught sight of another light in front of him. There in the distance with another torch was–

Tony grinned. “Oh, it’s you, Rudy! Why are you here?”

Rudy’s eyes widened. He rushed to the smaller boy and knelt in front of him, heart racing– but the latter seemed just fine, aside from being covered in dirt and dust.

He gave a sheepish grin. “Well, if you’re here… I guess that means everyone found out, huh?”

Rudy nodded. Words to answer rushed through his mind – scolding words, relieved words – but once more his voice was stuck in his throat. Sighing, he just shook his head and gestured over a shoulder.

A frown. “No, I’m not going back yet. Remember what I said about the Holy Berry? I came here searching for it so that I can heal my father’s wounds. He might not look like it now, but my father’s a strong and brave man, who can beat any monster. That’s why I want to heal his wound. I want my brave father back.” He crossed his arms. “I got all the way here, but now I’m stuck! I dunno what to do ‘cause this huge rock’s blocking my progress!”

Rudy looked up. True enough, there was a huge boulder at the end of the tunnel with no other exits… then he remembered the bombs the village chief gave him. He pulled one out from his pocket, a little cherry-sized bomb, wondering if it could really break this huge boulder. Still, he placed a few on the ground, lit them with a match, then grabbed Tony’s hand and hurried some distance away.

 _BANG! BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!_

A burst of flames, a cloud of smoke. Rudy’s eyes widened when he saw a gaping hole where the boulder was with large pieces scattered about.

“That’s amazing!” Tony cried. “You’re awesome! You blew up such a huge rock!”

The adolescent boy flushed and shook his head.

“…now isn’t the time to be impressed. My father’s counting on me… I must continue looking for the Holy Berry. Will you help me, Rudy?”

Rudy paused – should he? Tony already intended to move forward with or without him, and there might be more monsters ahead… but, as Rudy gripped the hilt of the sword, he didn’t feel confident he could protect with his novice sword skills–

“Well, let’s go!” Tony ran through the new opening, forcing Rudy to chase after him.

The cave narrowed back into a tunnel, long, winding, dark. Rudy kept Tony behind him as they advanced forward, holding the crackling torches above them to light the way. Thrice they met with more of those giant armoured lizards, and thrice Rudy somehow managed to defeat them while Tony hid, despite breathing heavily after each battle.

“…you aren’t very good with a sword, are you?” Tony remarked.

Rudy reddened.

They continued on. Soon the sound of flowing water filled the air, calming.

The tunnel widened once more, expanding into a large cave bigger than the village chief’s house. Waterfalls shielded the rocky walls, sending clear waters flowing around the cave shallow enough for them to cross, deep enough for glowing fish to swim. Little orbs of green light circled around, giving the place a whimsical feeling. A refreshing scent filled the air, like wet leaves after a rain.

There, on a little island in the middle of the shallow lake, was a gigantic tree, glowing a soft green that illuminated the cave. Tony’s eyes shone at the sight of fruit hanging from its thick branches, bundles of purple that would remind one of grapes… but when they crossed the lake for a closer look, the purple was tinged with dry brown.

But there was still one that shone. A small bundle that shone a gentle purple, that would shed sparkly dust upon touch. It didn’t take Rudy long to climb to the branch and pluck it, then jump back down and hand it to the younger boy.

Tony cradled the berry in his hands. “This… this must be the Holy Berry! It has to be!” He grinned brightly. “Thank you so very much, Rudy! My father will die without this – he’s got to get better! He just gotta!”

Rudy nodded with a smile.

“We should be going! I’ve got to get back and cure my father!” He spun around and sped back the way they came, and Rudy chased after him.

A moment passed.

Suddenly, the tree’s glowing green colour started to flicker. Flicker, like a life about to fade. The light orbs disappeared as parts of the ceiling cracked and splashed into the lake. The fish sped away, disappearing as though they were never there.

The green glow flickered and flickered… then faded.

A red light shone, the colour of blood, and the ground began to rumble.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The earthquake was furious, violent. A deafening roar shot across the cave, as though to tear everything apart. Rudy held the smaller boy close, shielding him from the falling debris. Tony trembled, hugging the Holy Berry to his chest.

The ground soon calmed. Grew silent.

Rudy looked up slowly. An earthquake… he hadn’t felt one this strong before. And it happened after they took the Holy Berry… was it just a coincidence…?

A chill ran down his back. He looked up, crimson eyes focused into the darkness beyond.

A circle of dark purple light, rotating slowly… like a portal. His eyes narrowed, one hand reaching towards the weapon at his back–

“Hey! It’s the village chief!” Tony cried, making Rudy jump, and started running towards the bright cave exit.

Heart racing, Rudy’s eyes followed the younger boy, then he turned towards the darkness once more.

But the portal was gone. Was it just his imagination…?

Back at the cave entrance, the wooden gate stood wide open where Tony ran to meet the chief and a whole group of villagers wielding shovels and pitchforks as makeshift weapons. They gathered around him, relief on their faces. A white dog barked as it showered the small boy with licks, tail wagging.

“Well, now!” the chief cried. “Why do you always act so impulsively?”

Tony gave a hasty bow. “I’m very sorry! I just wanted to heal my father, that’s why I had to look for a Holy Berry…”

A woman sighed. “Didn’t you think of the possibility of you getting hurt? Or worse?”

The villagers continued to fuss over the small boy. Rudy walked up to them, and they all turned to face him.

A man smiled. “Tony’s back safe because of you. Thank you.”

Rudy flushed, rubbing the back of his head.

Another man shook his head. “An earthquake and a heroic rescue… on the same day?”

“Tell us,” yet another man said, “Did you find any Holy Berries?”

Tony nodded with a grin. “I found one that matched the description. The others were all wilted.” He proudly held it up. “Look, here it is!”

Everyone gasped, eyes wide. A short silence, and one man turned to the village chief. “Chief, we might be able to harvest those berries again.”

“If that’s the case, it’s all because of Tony and Rudy’s work,” a woman said. “If they didn’t go deep into the cave, we wouldn’t know this Holy Berry existed.”

The group continued to chatter, then the chief held up a hand. “In any case, the most important thing is that they came back safely. Let’s discuss this back at the village.”

With that, everyone started back toward the village. Tony skipped along at their side, hugging the Holy Berry close to him.

Suddenly, the white dog rushed past them and growled, ears flattened and tail lowered.

Everyone spun around. Their eyes widened.

From the darkness of the cave, a rumble. And another rumble. A low growl as something emerged… something huge.

A reptilian beast… or what was left of it. A lumbering skeleton, with pieces of rotting flesh and decaying muscles still attached here and there. The strong jaws spread open to reveal gleaming fangs, as ghastly purple fumes escaped from its throat. Huge curved claws extended from each front leg, each longer than even the dog. 

A rotting beast.

All the people could do was stare, gaping.

“A… a monster trapped in Berry Cave since ancient times…” a man muttered.

The dog continued to growl, baring its fangs. The beast growled back. One step of a claw crushed the wooden gate into mere pieces, one swipe of the other sent the dog flying across the cave. The dog hit the wall with a yelp and fell to the ground, unmoving.

Someone screamed. Suddenly there was a mad scramble for the exit as the people ran for their lives.

Yet, a few remained frozen. Staring forward with wide eyes, seemingly rooted to the ground.

The beast turned towards them and roared, golden eyes flashing. Dark purple light gathered at its throat. A rush of foul stench, nauseating, like that of a decaying corpse.

Rudy cast a hurried glance at the remaining villagers – none of them would move – and clenched his teeth. With narrowed eyes, he rushed in. With a flash of the blade, he leapt high into the air.

The beast spat a rush of dark purple light right at him. He crashed onto the ground, gasping, clutching at his chest. The moment he looked up, a huge claw came rushing down towards him. He rolled to the side, then scrambled to his feet and charged.

_Thunk!_

He gasped as the sword bounced right off, the momentum throwing him off balance. The creature shot a glare towards him and slapped him away, forcing him to land painfully on his back. The sword slid out of his hand and across the cave.

The beast turned onto him, growling. The strong jaws spread open, the dark purple light gathering at its throat.

His heart banging against his chest, his eyes widened. The weapon on his back burnt into him, as though beckoning him – but no, he shouldn’t, he mustn’t. He scrambled onto his feet once more and sped towards the fallen sword.

A roar. A flash of purple light. A burst of energy, of power. Slamming right into him.

Pain. Stabbing pain. Cutting through him as though to tear him apart. A gasp escaped him as he fell once more, trembling, unable to move.

Someone shouted his name. Someone else screamed. Eyes watering, shoulders heaving, he slowly looked up.

The villagers, staring upward. Trembling, holding tightly onto each other. Rooted to the ground, as though frozen.

The rotting beast rose to its full height, head brushing the ceiling. Golden eyes focused on them, its jaws spread open in a roar, a triumphant roar that rang across the cave. Then, from its throat, the dark purple light gathered once again.

And the villagers continued to stare.

Gritting his teeth, Rudy forced himself up. Trembling with pain, his hand reached for the weapon on his back.

He stopped – no, he shouldn’t, he mustn’t–

The beast growled.

A flash of dark purple light.

“N-NO!” Rudy screamed.

In an instant he was on his feet. In an instant the weapon was in his hand. In an instant the white cloth fell to the ground.

_ROAR._

A sharp, powerful roar, like a clap of thunder.

A burst of blue and white light, overwhelming the dark purple one.

Silence.

When the villagers looked up, they gasped.

Rudy, standing upright, shoulders heaving as he gazed at the monster. His arm stretched forward, aiming a long weapon at the monster – a single-barrelled metal weapon with a wooden handle, his finger on the trigger.

An ARM. Gleaming in the light of the sunset sun from the cave entrance.

The creature snarled and spat a ray of purple light at him. The light exploded on the ground as he leapt to the side and aimed. The mental connection strong, the weapon burning in his hand, he fired almost by thought. And the weapon responded each time with a sharp _ROAR_ like a clap of thunder.

_ROAR._

Suddenly the monster’s head exploded in a burst of dark blood.

_ROAR._

Another explosion of blood.

_ROAR._

And another.

Rudy stopped firing. Eyes narrowed, focused on the beast, its head dripping with dark blood.

The rotting beast collapsed onto the ground, limp and lifeless. Its body slowly disintegrated in a burst of dark light, as though it was never there.

Silence. Nothing made a move. Nothing made a sound.

Rudy heaved a sigh of relief. Over, the battle was over… then, his heart raced, chilled. 

He had used his ARM. In front of the villagers.

Slowly, hesitantly, he turned to face them… and froze.

The people stared with wide eyes, trembling. Not at the fallen monster that had disappeared away… but at him.

 _At him_.

“Wow, that’s just amazing!” Tony exclaimed. “He beat such a _huge_ monster!” He started forward, but a woman held him back by the shoulders. “What? What’s the matter?”

“Your power…” the woman started, then shouted, “Your power might have caused great misfortune to this village!”

As though a valve had exploded, everyone started speaking at once.

“ _I knew it!_ Your ARM! Legends speak of it! It’s been forbidden for a _thousand_ years! An unholy, destructive power…”

“Why did you bring such a dangerous power to our village? It terrifies me to even think of having such a thing used in our peaceful village!”

“Now I see. The earthquake we had… it was because you use the ARM?”

“If it’s true, I’m very convinced. It’s because of your ARM that the monster in the cave came back to life!”

“NO!” Tony cried as he spun around to face the villagers. “It’s not true! It can’t be! Because he used his power, he saved me!”

“He may be able to deceive Tony”–a man shoved a finger in Rudy’s direction–“but you can’t fool us any longer!”

Pain. Stabbing pain. Every single word stabbed right into Rudy’s heart, more painful than the monster’s strike. He backed away, trembling.

“ _Stop!_ ” the village chief shouted. “All of you, STOP!”

Silence.

He shook his head. “Now isn’t the time for a tempestuous debate…” He stepped forward.

Rudy’s heart chilled. Clutching the ARM to his chest, he shut his eyes tightly and braced for a hit.

But a hit did not come.

“Rudy… thank you for saving Tony.” There was no anger in the chief’s voice. “However, the danger you have brought to our village and the carelessness in the Berry Cave is unacceptable.” His expression hardened. “In our village, we respect peace, and a hazard like your ARM is prohibited. Under our law, you must allow us time to decide your fate in this village. Do you have any objections?”

Rudy’s eyes stung. Slowly, slightly, he shook his head.

“I’m glad you respect my decision. I will do my best to reach a verdict that everyone can agree on.” He turned around. “We should return to Surf Village. Please stay in your room until we have reached a decision.”

A slight nod.

With that, everyone turned and left for the village. Tony cast a quick glance over a shoulder, a glance filled with tears, before joining the others.

Rudy remained behind, trying to stop his body from trembling.

The wide eyes, the stares that burnt into him… he hated it. That was why he had hidden the ARM, forcing himself to use a sword that he was never good at. He had never wanted such a power… but this power was his. If only… if only he was strong enough to never need it…

A soft bark from his right. The white dog which the beast had first struck down was standing beside him, wagging its tail at him. A soft smile on his face, he reached down to pet it.

A call from outside. The dog perked up and rushed out with a bark, leaving Rudy behind. His eyes stung once more, and he closed them.

In the end, without his grandfather… he was alone in the world.

**End of Chapter One: Alone in the World.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A belated Happy New Year! Hope we’ll have a good 2021. :D
> 
> And happy belated anniversary, Wild Arms! I just realised I started posting this novelisation five days after Wild Arms’ 24th anniversary. Twenty fourth!! While that sounds amazing, man, I feel old now. xD
> 
> You might have realised that although I mostly followed WAACF’s storyline, I still gave Rudy a sword rather than starting directly with his ARM like WA! While I really like the idea of him using his ARM full-time (and I really hate describing him using that sword as much as he hates using it!), the reason for the sword is because I think it’s a good way of showing his psychological state. Besides, it’s a nice change having a protagonist who isn’t good with a sword, and Jack’s the sword (or katana) expert after all. xP


	4. Two: A Mere Test of Ability

**Wild Arms: To the End of the Wilderness**  
**Chapter Two: A Mere Test of Ability**  
Written by Estrelita Farr

The high afternoon sun blazed onto the barren land, hot and relentless. A dry wind blew, rolling a couple of tumbleweed about. A young man strode on, his brown trench coat billowing in the wind, his low golden ponytail tied with a green ribbon. In his left hand was a long sheathed katana, the hilt and sheath a deeper blue colour than his pants. A blue mouse – the size of a rabbit – stood on his shoulder, intelligent eyes focused forward.

Their destination soon loomed into view, a building ravaged by time. Creeper plants covered parts of its brown walls, some of the stone pillars cracked or collapsed. But that didn’t deter the young man – no, he grinned as soon as he set his golden eyes on the place.

“Well, here we are!” he declared. “This is where our map is marked!”

The blue mouse almost fell off his shoulders. “This… these are the Ruins of Memory! How much did you pay for the information on THIS dump?!”

“What? Hanpan, you know this place?”

“I can’t believe you don’t! These ruins are rather famous…” Hanpan slapped his head. “You believed someone’s lie… again.”

He flushed. “Oh, shut up! My gut’s telling me that something good will come from this place!”

“Huh… since I’m obviously the intelligent one, I don’t share your optimism. A better name for this place would be ‘the previously looted ruins of the dead’. Maybe then you wouldn’t have been fooled.” He shrugged. “Even if there _is_ some treasure, I bet it’s total junk. I don’t think you can find anything worth the money you paid.”

He gave a huff. “If you feel that way, then don’t come with me.”

He grinned. “Oh, don’t be so stubborn, you know you’ll need my help!”

A sigh. “At any rate, we came this far, we should at least check it out. We might find a clue about Absolute Power.”

With Hanpan on his shoulder, the treasure hunter stepped inside the ruins, where the condition wasn’t any better than the exterior – a layer of dust settled everywhere, cracks ran across the engraved symbols and images on the floor, more plants grew from parts of the wall. An old, dusty, mouldy smell hung in the air. At the end of the entrance hall was a raised stone surface, with numerous gold buttons with letters engraved onto them, and just above the surface was a vertical plate made of glass – at least, he thought it looked like glass – with lines of blue text scrolling upward.

He gazed at the screen, one hand on his chin. “Hey, Hanpan, what’s this?” He reached down to press a button.

“No! Stop! Don’t touch it!” The Wind Mouse jumped down his arm and onto the stone surface. “Let me handle it.”

He gave a huff, but relented.

Hanpan gazed at the screen and the buttons. “Hm… this should be treated… well, like this…” He hopped onto several buttons, the clicking sounds loud in the hall.

When he was done, words appeared on the glass screen: “If you are the successor of memory, enter the correct descendant’s name and the way will be opened.”

The duo exchanged glances.

Hanpan crossed his arms. “Hm, interesting… it’s asking us to enter a name?”

“Well, a name _is_ an important thing. Do you know the name, ‘intellectual’ one?”

“Don’t get smart with me! I don’t know it!”

A shrug. “Well then, let’s try… let’s enter my name.” He pressed the buttons corresponding to the letters. “Jack Van Burace.”

The clicking sounds rang through the hall once more. A moment of silence as a series of dots appeared on the screen, then the words: “No matches.”

Jack shrugged again. “Figures. I didn’t really expect it to work.”

Hanpan shook his head. “Liar. You thought there was a chance.”

“Well, I–“

_Rumble._

The ground shook. An earthquake roared, sending Jack stumbling backwards as Hanpan jumped back onto his shoulder. Then the floor beneath them disappeared and dropped them right in the middle of a long, narrow hallway, with the same brown walls as the ruins above.

Jack breathed a sigh of relief. Well, that wasn’t too bad for a trap–

_Rumble._

He cast a glance over a shoulder as Hanpan pointed. Their eyes widened.

A GIGANTIC boulder rushing down at them!

_RUN!_ was everyone’s first instinct, and ran. Down the hallway, down the slope, a curve to the left, a turn to the right and–

“Run faster, Jack!” Hanpan cried. “ _Run faster_!”

“Oh, shut up! Why don’t you just run on your own four feet?!”

–another slope down, a curve to the right, down a ledge. Then right in front, a narrow opening in the wall.

Feeling the rumbling right at his back, Jack’s eyes focused on that opening. He pushed his legs to run faster, faster, faster… then swerved and threw himself right into it.

The boulder rushed past.

Jack punched a fist into the air. “Whoo–”

And the floor tiles right before him collapsed, revealing a black abyss.

He sprang to his feet with a yelp and sped in the opposite direction. One by one the floor tiles fell with threats of throwing him into the abyss below. The hole drew nearer and nearer to his feet… and before him was a wide hole. With a ledge on the other side.

But a grin spread across his face. He leant forward and–

Hanpan’s eyes widened. “No! No no no no–”

–a burst of wind. He rushed forward in a blur of golden hair and brown coat and launched himself forward over the hole, soaring momentarily in the air with Hanpan desperately hanging on by the collar of his trench coat… and his hand caught the edge of the ledge, just as the last of the floor tile fell and left nothing but darkness below. 

Jack breathed a sigh of relief. He pulled himself up the ledge and–

Spears. Stabbing out of the walls as though to turn him into holey cheese.

He grinned again. One hand gripping the sheathed katana, the other over the hilt, he rushed in. Just as Hanpan squealed, the spears right upon them, he drew the blade and slashed in one flowing motion.

When they reached the other end, the katana was back in its sheath, the broken spearheads falling onto the floor like splattering rain.

“See?” Jack said. “I told you my Fast Draw is useful–”

And the walls started closing in on them.

He swore loudly and sped forward once more. The hallway grew narrower and narrower and narrower… brushing against his elbow…

And he burst into a small room at the end. Just as the walls slammed shut behind him.

The duo breathed a sigh of relief, then realised they were in a small room. A small room with nothing. A dead end. Now what–

The floor disappeared, tossing them into the abyss below, and no one was around to hear their echoing screams.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Jack went rolling across the dusty stone floor the moment he landed, rolling and rolling… and crashed right into a wall. Hanpan bounced right off and lay sprawled on the floor, groaning.

“Ugh… Jack, your landing could really use some work.”

“Hey, at least we made it in one piece!” Jack sprang to his feet, grinning widely. “Damn, _that_ was cool!”

He rolled his eyes. “Right… let’s just forget about exploring and just get outta here.”

They took a moment to catch their breaths, and, as Hanpan leapt back onto Jack’s shoulder, they made their way forward.

The underground ruins were large, with a room leading to another room leading to another room – there seemed to be no end to these doors. The stone floors were dusty, cold, the air musty and stale, but Jack was used to it by now. Glowing white orbs hovered above unlit braziers, lighting the ruins enough without the need for a torch.

And of course, as with many ruins, traps and locked door puzzles of all kinds awaited them – holed floor tiles with spikes stabbing the moment it felt a foot, doorways with guillotines crashing down as though to slice them in half, locked stone doors with button switches in near-impossible-to-reach places, empty treasure chests that dashed their hopes… Jack couldn’t help but to wonder why on Filgaia the owner employed such a sadistic designer.

“Hey, Hanpan,” he called, “Don’t you think the security’s kind of tight for a ‘previously looted ruins of the dead’?”

The Wind Mouse nodded from his shoulder. “You’re right. Maybe the earthquake from before somehow activated the security system.”

They soon came across a stubbornly shut stone door, and no amount of banging or yelling from Jack would open it. There – across a wide, gaping hole on the other side of the room – was a button switch, glowing as though mocking them.

“I’ll hop over that gap to press the switch,” Hanpan said. “Even with your long legs, I don’t think you’d make it. You should just leave it to a Wind Mouse like me – after all, my forte is speed and wit!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Jack held out an arm. Hanpan hopped onto it and shot across the gap in a burst of wind with a trail of blue light behind him. He reached the switch easily, stepped on it and leapt back in another burst of wind.

A low rumble filled the air, and the closed stone door next to them opened. Hanpan leapt back onto the treasure hunter’s shoulder, and they went through the door.

_Shriek._

A rush of wings just as Hanpan hopped onto the floor and Jack whirled to the side, hand instantly at his katana.

Hovering in front of them were three large birds, nearly as large as Jack himself, their beaks long, their claws gleaming in the light of the orbs. They gave another echoing shriek and charged at him once again.

Jack smirked as he sped forward to meet them. Eyes focused, he raised the sheath and–

_Smack!_

The first bird squawked as it tumbled onto the floor.

_Smack!_

The second one tumbled the other way.

_Smack!_

The third one bounced twice before landing.

_Smack! Smack! Smack!_

Each time the birds tried to rise, he smacked them again with the sheath of the katana. They squawked and tried to peck at him, but he merely jumped away with a laugh. He didn’t even need to draw his blade. Not bad for a Fast Draw swordsman!

Hanpan slapped his head. “Oh, just use your Fast Draw on them already. We don’t have all day.”

Jack laughed as he leant forward, a hand at the hilt. A burst of wind, a burst of speed as he rushed forward in a blur of golden hair and brown coat. A flash of light, a flurry of slashes, then – as he straightened and sheathed the katana – the birds landed on the floor for the final time in a bloody heap.

He grinned. “Fast enough for you, pardner?”

The Wind Mouse rolled his eyes. “And _now_ you use Accelerator.”

Like any other monster-infested ruins they had explored, more of these large birds made the Ruins of Memory their home. With Jack’s Accelerator (when he felt like moving as fast as wind for an instant) and Fast Draw techniques (when he decided to use them), and Hanpan’s quick mind (when he wasn’t exasperated with Jack), the duo made their way through the ruins.

Many rooms, traps and monsters later, they arrived at the biggest room of them all. A large, long hall, well lit with more glowing orbs, with a raised stone platform in the middle and four short pillars at each of its corners. The dark blue crystals sat on each pillar, dull and inactive.

The duo’s eyes shone. Usually this arrangement could only mean one thing – treasure!

Jack turned towards the mouse. “So, what should we do here, pardner?”

Hanpan glanced around the hall. “Let’s see… no switches whatsoever.” He leapt onto Jack’s outstretched arm and gazed at the crystals. “Hm… I’d wager these are magic crystals; magic should activate them. Since you can’t really use magic, try one of your Fast Draw techniques on it – the one with the arc should do it.”

He scowled. “It’s called _Speed Fang_! At least remember the name, won’t you?”

But the swordsman obliged and drew the katana in a quick slash. A flash of light, then an arc of blue light burst from the blade and sliced the nearest crystal. Just as the katana returned to its sheath, the crystal burst into a brilliant blue colour.

_Flash! Flash! Flash!_

In an instant, all four crystals shone a brilliant blue. Eyes shining, the duo gazed expectantly at the middle of the platform… yet what appeared was not a treasure chest but a great ball of dark purple light – a monster portal.

Hanpan slapped his head. “THIS is the reward for releasing the traps? It’s the worst reward I’ve ever seen!”

Jack shrugged. “Don’t complain, pardner, life is often like this… let’s get done with this quickly.”

A sigh. “Well, I did say ‘the previously looted ruins of the dead’ is a better name for this place… come out, keeper of the ruins!”

The dark purple light grew and grew, until it was as large as the platform, until it was larger than the platform. As the duo slowly drew back, their eyes wide, something _huge_ emerged from the darkness of the portal.

A giant spider. Towering at twice Jack’s height, the sleek body and legs a striped combination of yellow and black. Its four eyes shone a dark crimson colour… the colour of blood. It opened its black fangs and shrieked, a spine-chilling shriek that echoed across the ruins.

Instantly Hanpan was off Jack’s shoulder and on the floor some distance away.

“An Atlachnacha!” he cried. “Be careful of its fangs – don’t _ever_ get caught!”

The treasure hunter grinned. “Get caught? You’re talking to a Fast Draw swordsman, pardner! I’m as fast as the wind!”

A burst of wind as Jack rushed forward in a blur, hand on the hilt of the katana. The spider shrieked as it charged and uncurled its black fangs, revealing a drooling mouth. He swerved to the right, the sheath shining a white light, then drew his katana in a single upward slash.

A burst of light, a shriek. Silence.

He grinned as the light dispersed, the blade back in its sheath. A job well done–

A shrill shriek rang across the hall. A rush of white towards him.

He gasped as he leapt back and swung the katana in a shield of slashes in front of him. A blanket of white spread out on either side of him, liquid white – sticky white web covered an entire half of the hall. And there, right at the other corner of the hall was a squeaking Hanpan, struggling against the web.

“A little help?” he cried.

The Atlachnacha turned towards the Wind Mouse, the four crimson eyes gleaming. Black fangs uncurled, mouth drooling, it started in his direction.

Jack groaned. Leaning forward once more, he focused his energy on his blade. Another flash of light, burning hot, and a shining slash. An arc of blue light burst from the blade, slicing a path through the web-covered floor before exploding right at the spider’s side.

The creature shrieked, tumbling sideways. But its body remained unscathed, as though made of armour.

Jack sliced Hanpan’s bindings, then they spun around and ran from the hall as fast as they could.

“My Fast Draws don’t work on it!” Jack shouted. “Any bright ideas?!”

“I don’t know!” the Wind Mouse shouted back. “Just let me think!”

“We don’t have time to think!”

“Then why don’t you come up with something!”

“But like I said, my Fast Draws don’t work on it!”

A shriek rang across the ruins, loud and echoing.

“Look out!” Hanpan exclaimed. “A trap!”

Jack swore and leapt high into the air, just as spikes shot up from the holes on the floor.

They sped through the ruins the way they came, through room after room, past trap after trap. The shrieks came from behind them, as though to threaten them.

Then, an idea lit up in the swordsman’s head. They cut across a room, another room, then he skidded to a stop and whirled around, the sheathed katana raised.

“What are you doing?!” Hanpan cried.

“I have an idea!” he shouted over a shoulder. “Just get back – leave this to me!”

The shriek drew his attention. The Atlachnacha caught up to them, the four crimson eyes flashing.

But he held his position. He grinned and gestured to it to come.

It gave another shriek. Black fangs raised, mouth drooling, it charged right at him.

He waited. He waited, waited… and just as the spider’s breath was right on him, he spun around and threw himself through the opening to the next room. It followed suit, shrieking–

And the guillotine trap came crashing down.

A splatter of blood, then silence. More silence.

“Woohoo!” Jack cried, punching a fist in the air. “Victory!”

Hanpan strode back towards him and, with the latter’s outstretched arm, hopped onto his shoulder. “Well, not bad, you actually did it.”

He grinned. “That changed your mind of me, eh?”

“Well done, I should say… except there’s just one problem.” He crossed his arms. “Now that the spider’s blocking the door, how on Filgaia are we going to go back to that room?”

A pause. A sheepish grin. “Um… oops?”

-o-o-o-o-o-

Back at the hall with the four crystals, hovering above the platform was no longer the dark purple monster portal, but a glowing spinning purple crystal. A teleportation crystal, Hanpan called it, which would send them to another location nearby. Hoping it would take them back outside, the duo approached it and placed their hands on its warm surface.

A burst of white light.

When it dimmed, they found themselves in another large hall, with wide stone pillars at the sides. A pillar of turquoise light shone from a circular platform at the end of the hall, and next to it was a metal box with numerous buttons on its top and cables running from its back. Jack’s eyes shone – somehow the sight of a surface covered in buttons filled him with excitement, and barely five seconds passed before clicking sounds rang through the air. 

Hanpan slapped his head. “Just… don’t touch anything. You need to start acting like an adult instead of a child.”

“You complain too much.” Jack grinned. “Acting like a child is the secret of youth!”

And he slapped his head again.

_Click click click click_ , went the buttons, like a happy rhythmic tune. But as much as Jack pressed, nothing happened. No burst of light, no flashy screens, no explosions… nothing.

He frowned. He took a step back and gave the box a big, swift kick.

_BLAM!_

A bright light. Blinded, the duo shielded their eyes with their arms as a crackling sound filled the air.

“Oh, geez!” Hanpan cried. “See what you’ve done!”

“W-what?! Are you blaming me now?!”

The crackling sound reduced to a hum, the light now dim. The duo’s eyes slowly adjusted, then widened.

There, in the middle of the pillar of light, was the faded image of an old man in a coat, wrinkled hands leaning on a cane. Beneath his top hat, rabbit-like ears extended downwards to the sides, long and furry. Every so often, parts of the image became momentarily distorted.

Jack jumped. “Hanpan! The person in charge of this ruin is coming!”

A pause. The Wind Mouse stared at the old man and shook his head. “An Elw… I don’t remember the last time I saw one.”

“What? What’s an _el-loo_?”

“The Elw were a race that existed in Filgaia long ago, steeped in nature and superior to others in wisdom and magic…” He crossed his arms. “It’s no surprise this ruin was built by the Elw.”

“So that’s an Elw, huh?”

“No, this is just an image of an Elw that’s being projected in light by their technology, what they call a hologram. This must be an Elw era machine used to transmit information. They can leave anything to the ages if they leave it in the form of information!” He chuckled. “I see now… that’s a nice trick to call this place the Ruins of Memory.”

“Okay, so–”

A shrill sound. Pain shot through Jack’s head. Just as he held a hand to his head – and with Hanpan doing the same – the pain subsided and a low, quiet voice spoke in his mind.

_“Do not wish for Lolithia whom the Elw has set in the coffin. Lolithia’s freezing breath, the power which can be used only to destroy…_

_“Do not wish for Lolithia whom the Elw has set in the coffin. It is a blowing snowstorm of death, it is a tornado leading to misery… it is the absolute power to destroy everything._

_“Do not… wish for Lolithia… whom the Elw has set in the coffin…”_

Silence. When the duo looked up, the hologram was gone, leaving behind the pillar of light.

The young man shook his head. “Is it real? Was that an Elw talking? The absolute power to destroy everything…” He held out an arm, onto which the Wind Mouse jumped. “Hey, Hanpan, where’s Lolithia’s coffin? No, wait! First off, what is a Lolithia? You must know!”

Hanpan sighed. “Don’t ask me everything all at once. Even with my superior wisdom, I don’t know everything.”

“Ah, I see… well, it will do for now.” He closed his eyes. “Absolute Power… finally… maybe we found a clue to its location…”

A pause. “Jack… what are you going to do with this Absolute Power?”

He grinned. “You’ll see. Either way, we’ll have to find it first. Let’s go and look for this Lolithia’s coffin.”

Hanpan nodded and hopped from his partner’s arm to the shoulder. Jack took one last look at the pillar of light, burning the Elw’s message to his mind, and turned to leave.

Absolute Power, the power that would rise above all existence… where was it located? What form would it take? A dark sword? A sealed magical power? For many years Jack had been searching, not quite knowing what it actually was… and now, he had the strongest lead he had in ages.

Absolute Power… he might soon have it in his hands.

**End of Chapter Two: A Mere Test of Ability.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, Jack and Hanpan, the jokers of the group! I added a few custom lines to this chapter and accidentally made Jack and Hanpan the constantly arguing duo, but what can I do? Their personalities came out that way while I was writing this!
> 
> Though at first it wasn’t easy writing this chapter. I had a bit of trouble getting into Jack’s character since it’s mostly about ruins, traps and exploration, something I never really enjoyed in a game (all those random battle encounters!). But the matter was then solved with another one of Michiko Naruke’s soundtracks, ‘A Mere Test of Ability’ from WAACF! It’s got that light-hearted gonna-get-through-this-dungeon tune, which fits Jack nicely. :D


	5. Three: Contact

**Wild Arms: To the End of the Wilderness**  
**Chapter Three: Contact**  
Written by Estrelita Farr

_“Shaman… receive my thoughts…”_

A soft whisper. Forlorn. Gentle, like the sound of flowing water.

The adolescent girl blinked her green eyes open and found herself floating in a dark abyss, her long golden hair spreading as though underwater, her long frock billowing.

Where… was this? Such a dark place… she was sure she had not been here before, but this feeling… it felt as though her very heart was connected to this place…

_“Guardian’s Shaman…”_

There it was, the voice again. Gentle, like the sound of flowing water. The girl turned, gazing at a bright orb of light, a white light tinged with blue.

_“Can you hear my thoughts?”_ came the voice once more. _“Guardian’s Shaman… give me your name, then the contract of old will be made once more…”_

“Who are you?” she asked. “Who is calling me? And I’m…” She shook her head. “I’m not a shaman.”

_“Hurry, Shaman… give me your name…”_ The light flickered. _“Filgaia will soon be covered in darkness again… Shaman, give me your name…”_

A pause. She closed her eyes, then slowly looked up. “My name… is Cecilia.”

_“Shaman Cecilia… release my power from the sealed library…”_

_Flash._ The orb burst into smaller orbs of light, circling once before fading one by one.

Cecilia gasped. “Please wait! Who are you? What do you mean ‘the sealed library’? _Wait!_ ”

A soft growl. Forlorn. _“Shaman… Guardian’s Shaman, Cecilia…”_

Then, silence. Deafening silence. She could see nothing but the light, blinding.

“…Cecilia…”

Someone was calling her name again.

“…Cecilia… Cecilia…?”

No, it wasn’t the light… a different voice.

“Hey, Cecilia! You’re so absentminded!”

She jumped. Her green eyes wide open, she found herself gazing into the face of another adolescent girl, who frowned at her as she waved a hand in front of her face.

Cecilia blinked. “Oh… what was I doing? Was that a dream?”

The other girl sighed. “Were you daydreaming again? You’re almost seventeen, you shouldn’t daydream so much. You’re so strange sometimes…”

“I guess I _am_ strange.” She shook her head. “But you’re strange too. Why are you down on your hands and knees like that?”

She slapped the stone floor. “Because I’m checking on you! And I’m not the one who’s under the table!”

She looked up – indeed, she _was_ under the table.

“Right after the bell, there was an earthquake. You really don’t remember?”

A pause. Cecilia’s cheeks grew warm. “…yes, and I crawled under the desk.”

“Uh, yeah.”

Silence.

Cecilia closed her eyes. That voice, that gentle, flowing voice that called her… whose voice was it, calling her a shaman? And what was this ‘sealed library’?

The other girl slapped the floor again. “Hey, are you daydreaming again?! You don’t have time for that! You’re turning seventeen, right? How soon until you return to Adlehyde Castle? You should start telling everyone goodbye.”

“Goodbye? Oh!”

Cecilia sat up quickly… and slammed her head on the underside of the table.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Curan Abbey, a convent of women dedicated to the study of magic and the worship of Guardians. The ceilings high, the sunlight streamed through the tall glass windows as Cecilia wandered the long hallways, the stone walls engraved with runic symbols. Her mind kept recalling the voice, the gentle voice like flowing water, to the point she barely realised a few nuns were passing by. Her heart felt like a swirl of emotions… of confusion.

Eventually she arrived at the sunny courtyard, one of the students’ favourite places to study. Among the scattered benches on the grass, the statue of a holy woman in a robe stood, holding a book in her hand. A veil shielded her face, her visible eyes gazing to the right. At four corners of the courtyard, statues of magicians stood as though to guard her. Cecilia stood in the sun, gazing up at the holy woman statue, as though it would answer her questions… but all that answered her was a gentle wind that pulled at her long golden hair.

At that moment, footsteps from behind her. A woman in her forties approached, dressed in the customary black-and-white robe of a nun.

“Well, if it isn’t Cecilia.” The nun smiled. “Isn’t your departure day near? How are your preparations going? Do you feel ready?”

She returned the smile. “Yes, Sister Mary. Thank you very much for all your kindness. Well, it’s just… well, there’s something on my mind…” She took a moment to describe the mysterious dream.

Sister Mary shook her head. “Sealed library… Guardian’s Shaman… I see, you had such a dream. I heard that the women of royal Adlehyde descent have the ability to communicate with Guardians.” A pause. “This dream of yours… it might be related to, not just you, but the future of this entire world.”

Cecilia’s heart jolted.

The future… of Filgaia? The very thought of it weighed on her shoulders. Cold, heavy, as though threatening to bury her. But she was just a girl… just a princess of Adlehyde. It felt too heavy, too much for her to handle.

“Sister… what should I do?” She lowered her head. “There’s so much I don’t understand. I’m so confused… please guide me.”

The nun shook her head. “It’s easy to go wherever other people might direct you. But now you’re an adult with much responsibility, and so you will have to behave like one. You will have to chart your own course, then face whatever may happen along the way. For this reason, Cecilia, I will not give you any advice in regards to this revelation.”

“I… I see…”

She patted the girl’s shoulder. “But you will be fine, Cecilia, there is nothing you can’t overcome. Just remember all that you learnt at Curan Abbey.”

“Y-yes.” She gave a bow. “Thank you very much, Sister.”

Sister Mary smiled again. “May the Guardians be with you.” With that, she turned and strode down the hallway.

Cecilia gazed once more at the holy woman statue. Speaking to the sister reminded her of her royal bloodline… of her inherited power to communicate with the Guardians of Filgaia. Her hand wrapped around the pendant hanging from her neck, a blue crystal called the Teardrop, shaped like its name, the Adlehyde royal heirloom her mother gave her. It glowed gently, rhythmically like the beat of a heart, as though to console her… but her heart was still a whirl of confusion.

She continued to wander around the abbey, stopping occasionally to speak with friends or mentors. Soon she arrived at a particular room belonging to a Master Anje, a master sorceress who had taught most of Cecilia’s magic classes. When the princess entered, a smile formed on Anje’s gentle face framed by short brown hair.

“Hello, Cecilia,” she greeted as she stood up from the table. “You have good timing. I just finished the Layline device.”

“Hello, Master Anje.” Cecilia’s eyes wandered to the glowing green sphere on the table. “What is the Layline device?”

“It measures the Guardians’ power flowing through Filgaia. It should be able to observe the whole planet if it works as planned. It not only supports my study about the Guardians, but it might solve the mystery of Filgaia’s deterioration and reverse the process.”

“Reverse Filgaia’s deterioration? If that happened, many lives would be saved. I will pray for the Layline device to help you with this.” She shook her head. “But, Master Anje, what do you mean by good timing?”

“Well, it is related to the Teardrop crystal you possess – I have heard that the Teardrop connects the women of Adlehyde’s royal family to the Guardians. I would like to observe the Layline device while you use it to connect with a Guardian. If you are successful in connecting, it might affect the Layline, and if this device observes a reaction to the connection, it will confirm that my device works.”

“But… I have never heard of anyone actually communicating with the Guardians just by wielding the Teardrop. I don’t think I can meet your expectations…”

She gave a hopeful smile. “Even if you fail, would you please try? I don’t mind if it doesn’t work, but if it does, I would like to see if it affects the Layline.”

As she gazed at her mentor, she hadn’t the heart to refuse. “I understand… I will give it a try.”

Heart heavy with doubt, she clasped her hands around the warm Teardrop crystal and closed her eyes. She wasn’t sure what to look out for, what to feel, but as she reached out into the darkness with her heart…

_“Shaman… Cecilia… concentrate on the Teardrop…”_

There it was, that voice again. Gentle, flowing. She focused her mind on the Teardrop, the crystal growing warm in her hand.

_“In the sealed library… release me from the Book of Nelgal… by your shaman’s blood of royal descent… as one who inherits the Teardrop… release me…”_

The voice resonated in her very heart. Warm. Touching.

_“At the sealed library, release me…”_

_Who are you? Please tell me… what can I do? What does the Teardrop do?_

Silence. Deafening silence.

Suddenly someone shook her shoulders. “Cecilia! _Cecilia!_ ”

Cecilia’s eyes snapped open, finding herself staring at Master Anje’s concerned face.

“It’s all right,” Anje said with a sigh of relief. “You’re awake now. At first I thought you had started to daydream, but I was worried when I realised you weren’t. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked you to do this…”

The princess shook her head. “I’m all right… but it felt like, with the help of the Teardrop, I was able to sense this mysterious voice…”

“A mysterious voice…” She placed her hand on her cheek. “The glow of the Teardrop caused the Layline observation machine to react. Perhaps the Teardrop is tied to Layline origins. This voice you heard… it might be a Guardian. This machine observes the Laylines – in other words, it may be able to sense the power of the Guardians.”

She lowered her gaze. “A… Guardian…”

“Anyway, it appears I was correct with my little experiment.” She smiled. “Thank you for cooperating.”

Cecilia gave a little bow, then turned and headed back out of the hallway. Once again her heart was a whirl of confusion.

The voice that had been calling her… was that a Guardian? But why would a Guardian call a normal princess like her? Sure, she had the Teardrop and the royal Adlehyde blood flowed in her, but she was just a magic student with no special powers… and he asked her to release it from the Book of Nelgal? Was that in the sealed library? She hadn’t even heard of such a place.

When Cecilia asked around, however, it turned out the sealed library was an infamous secret among the students.

“If memory serves me right,” one student said, “The story says: ‘stand before the holy woman who guards the door and raise the light of life. Then the way will be open…’” She pouted. “But this story’s a lie! I threw a lamp at the holy woman statue, and it didn’t show any reaction!”

Cecilia stifled a giggle. 

In no time at all, she was back in the sun once more, gazing up at the holy woman statue in the courtyard. This time, however, she followed the statue’s gaze, where she found an old, heavy wooden door in the wall – the infamous door that no one could open, or even break down.

That had to be the door to the sealed library.

“Stand before the holy woman who guards the door,” she muttered, eyes focused on the holy woman statue, “And raise the light of life…”

The light of life… perhaps the Teardrop? With no other leads, she unhooked the necklace and raised the Teardrop over her head.

A moment passed. Another moment passed.

Suddenly, a rush of magic. Invisible to the eye, crackling through the air. She turned, eyes wide, just in time to see the locked door flash a bright blue before returning to normal. And when she tried the door, it opened easily as though it was never locked.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped through the door. Inside was a small room, with stone walls all around. There was nothing in the room, except a huge carving in the shape of the Teardrop at the end.

The Teardrop grew warm in her hand. It flashed a blue light, and the carving did the same.

A burst of blue light.

-o-o-o-o-o-

When Cecilia opened her eyes, she was no longer in the small, dark room with the Teardrop carving, but a gigantic round hall, the brick wall brown like the wasteland, the braziers blazing at the edge of the hall. Behind her, the wall carving of the Teardrop flickered before remaining still. When she looked down past the braziers, her legs trembled – a dark abyss, the staircase circling right into it.

Was this… the sealed library?

She hooked the Teardrop’s necklace back around her neck and, slowly, cautiously, she began descending the stairs. One step at a time, her heart racing. Suddenly her hands felt empty, and she wished she had her magic staff… but if she turned back now, her courage would falter and she would never return again. No, she had to go on, to find out who that voice belonged to.

Further down she went, the way forward well-lit with the blazing braziers at the side, and the stairs soon connected with the brown tiled floor. Through the door, long hallways led to more long hallways, as though to confuse any visitor. Strangely the air didn’t smell musty as she thought it would be. The floor wasn’t even dusty, as though someone diligently cleaned this place that seemed as large as her castle home, but until now – how long had she walked? – she had seen nothing move except her own shadow.

She soon arrived at a tall, wide wall, with a large mural of the Teardrop carved onto it. As she gazed at it, the Teardrop shimmered in her hand, as though to urge her forward. She obliged and raised the Teardrop.

A low rumble rang across the hall as the wall parted, leaving a wide opening for her to pass. She hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath and stepped through.

She stopped. Her eyes widened.

Books. Books everywhere. Shelves and shelves of them lined against the wall before her. A staircase to the next level, with even more shelves and shelves of books. And the next level. And the next level. There seemed even more books here than the population in Adlehyde. Red carpet lined the floor, a royal red colour.

There, at the topmost floor, a book caught Cecilia’s attention. A lone book resting on a pedestal, with a thick, hard cover that reminded her of an old storybook. Something about it sent a chill down her back, that orange-yellow cover… yet she could not take her eyes away. Something compelled her to reach out, to flip it open.

“The Book of Nelgal…” she read the title aloud. “When was this written…?”

She flipped a page. And another.

Etched onto the pages was a story, a story of an old monster born of magic, a monster that consumed magical power. A monster of fiery red mane, dark horns and claws… its name was Nelgal.

_Flash._

Cecilia gasped, stepping back.

One page flipped on its own. And another. And another. Then a whole flurry of them, continuously, endlessly. Dark smoke escaped from the book, gathering into an orb that circled above.

“Are you seeking wisdom or power?” a voice growled. “Or are you the one who heard the whisper of water?” A low chuckle. “No matter. Read this as a book written by dark forces. Everything is Nelgal’s flesh and blood!”

Another flash. From the dark orb, the smoke spread and gathered once more in front of the pedestal. A form began to take shape – first the silhouette, then the shadow… then the solid form.

An ogre nearly twice Cecilia’s height. A pale grey complexion as though drained of blood, a crimson mane ran down its muscled back like fire, the horns and claws black as though tainted by dark powers. Its bulging muscles rippling, its large fists bashed together as its fanged mouth widened into a grin.

“A human that radiates magic power…” it growled. “Nelgal deems you worthy of consumption.”

“Are you the voice that called me?” Cecilia asked, then stopped herself. “No… I only feel sinister thoughts from you!”

“A human heard the whisper of water? A shaman, perhaps…. if you wish to hear it again”–its golden eyes flashed–“then defeat Nelgal!” And, with a great roar that shot through the sealed library, it charged.

Cecilia screamed as she ran to the side, the ogre crashing into a bookshelf. She sped down the aisle and turned down another. In the distance, loud crashes filled the air, yellowing pages fluttering like a flock of birds.

“Come out and let Nelgal consume you!” the ogre roared.

The bookshelf in front of her crashed down onto the floor. Among the flying pages Nelgal came charging.

But she straightened. Green eyes narrowed, she threw her hands forward with a cry.

A flash of light. The magic pattern on her right shoulder burnt, a brilliant red shining through her frock. A circle of red light shone in front of her, engraved with runic symbols.

A burst of flames like a great phoenix. It engulfed the ogre completely, burying it in a mountain of fire.

Cecilia’s shoulders heaved as the circle disappeared, her magic pattern no longer shining. Did she do it…?

A roar. She screamed and ran as the monster came bursting out of the flames, golden eyes glaring.

“A Crest sorceress!” it hissed. “Nelgal has not seen one in years… but it matters not. Nelgal is immune to fire!”

It charged once more, then crashed into a bookshelf.

Cecilia focused once more, a circle of blue light shining in front of her. Another pattern on her back burnt, shining blue, and an orb of water imprisoned Nelgal.

The golden eyes blazed. The ogre opened its mouth in a roar as flames erupted from its body. The orb of water sizzled, bubbling white, and evaporated in a wisp of white smoke.

She gasped, eyes wide. Her two attack spells… ended just like that?

Nelgal gave a growling chuckle as it straightened. It spread its muscular arms as dark red light burst from them, light that separated into three beside it. First they formed the silhouettes, then the shadows… then three smaller ogres just like Nelgal. And, with a collective roar, all four of them charged.

“NO!” she cried, throwing her hands forward. Another orb of water imprisoned the four Nelgals, but she didn’t wait to see the results – she already knew – and escaped among the bookshelves.

She ran, shoulders heaving. Her legs trembled, but she forced herself to run.

A bubbling sound and a splash. The orb was already broken.

A growl. Another growl. They were now pursuing her.

She ran and ran, the only thing she could do now.

What _could_ she do? The healing spell was the only one she was proud of in class, and water attack spell should have been Nelgal’s weakness if he was immune to fire… but it just brushed her spell away as though it was a leaf. And now there were four of them.

Tears welled up in her eyes. Despair filled her racing heart, cold, heavy.

_“Shaman Cecilia… listen to me… release… Guardian’s power…”_

That voice again, that gentle voice like flowing water.

Even as she ran, she could feel her heart connect to that dark abyss, that abyss where the voice first spoke to her. Even as she closed her eyes she could see it, that bright orb of light gazing at her, gentle, forlorn. From that connection she felt a thread of power, a silvery thread gleaming in the dark.

_Release the Guardian’s power…?_

A roar from behind.

She shot a glance over a shoulder. Her eyes widened.

The four Nelgals, crashing through the bookshelves in her direction. Among the flying papers, the golden eyes glared, the fanged mouths grinned. With a roar, a great roar that rang through the sealed library, they charged right at her.

She screamed. She shut her eyes tightly.

_Spark._

The thread of power shone, as though to urge her. She clung onto it.

_FLASH._

A burst of blue light, like the rush of water. Magic surged through her veins, burning.

Suddenly the entire library submerged in water, rushing water. A gigantic blue turtle dived, a great splash of water. It raised its head, the fangs gleaming, the azure eyes glowing. Its shell expanded into spikes, the claws spread, it charged with a roar that shook the very library.

A burst of blue light. A rush of water. Crashing right into the four Nelgals, slamming them against the wall. Again and again. Powerfully. Mercilessly.

Silence.

Cecilia slowly looked up. The turtle and water had disappeared. The four ogres collapsed onto the ground, unmoving. Slowly, dark smoke gathered around their bodies, as they disintegrated into more smoke that faded away.

Heaving a sigh of relief, she sank onto the floor. Over… it was over.

_“Shaman…”_

She looked up. She was back in the abyss once more, gazing at the bright light that had called for her. She suddenly realised the orb of light had the faint form of the turtle she had seen earlier.

_“The Guardian’s Shaman, Cecilia… I appreciate that you listened to my whisper. Please, release me.”_

She shook her head. “Who… are you?”

_“I am the Guardian who rules water, Schturdark. Long ago, I was captured and imprisoned in the book by Nelgal’s magical power… Shaman, I have longed for you to listen to my whisper.”_

Again, that word. The word that brought much confusion to her heart. “Shaman… why do you call me a shaman?”

_“You are the one who understands our spirit, who can change it into power. Our shaman, inheritor of the Teardrop…”_ The light dimmed a little, quiet, forlorn. _“After this long period of time, Filgaia is about to be enveloped in darkness. Shaman, can you hear it? The sorrow of the sky and ocean… the anger of the earth and wind…”_

She closed her eyes. Moments before she could hear only silence, only the Guardian’s voice… now, as she focused, she could hear something faint. A sorrowful rain, a silent sea. A wailing howl, a furious roar below. Coming from the Teardrop. Slowly, she nodded.

The light shone even more, as though with determination. _“Shaman, unite us – use our power to fight the steel menace that threatens all life in this world. The battle for sky and earth is about to begin once more. The gate to Lolithia will be opened, a messenger of armageddon will appear… but do not surrender. You must defeat it, Shaman Cecilia… that is your mission…”_

A flash of light. Cecilia gasped, looking up to find herself back in the sealed library, facing the Book of Nelgal that now had a hole right in the middle, the edges charred. Her mind whirled, her heart swirling with confusion.

Lolithia… what did it mean? Defeat it, that was her mission as the shaman…

But she was the princess of Adlehyde. She belonged to the people. How could she abandon them all to heed the Guardian’s words…?

When Cecilia returned to Curan Abbey through the wall with the Teardrop carving, she found Sister Mary waiting at the courtyard, who smiled and said, “Welcome back, Cecilia.”

She blinked. “Sister? How did you know?”

“Well, your mother and I were the best of friends when she studied here. Of course I know.” Her eyes softened. “I know you will have to face many trials if you’re led by the Teardrop. The women of the Adlehyde royal family are born shamans, those who can commune with the Guardians of this world. And they are often faced with the hard and difficult path of destiny…”

She lowered her head. “Yes… but even though I’m…”

“Yes, I know you’re always trying to be strong… no one can take on your suffering for you, but friends can most certainly help to share the burden of your destiny. And perhaps you will reduce theirs, as well.”

Her eyes closed. Friends. Yes, she had friends here at the abbey, friends who would laugh with her, but she could never share her burden with them. She had seen it, that reservation in their eyes… simply because she was the princess of Adlehyde. Even if she did find people she considered her closest friends… would they even do the same and consider her theirs? Her eyes stung, her heart ached, but that was the reality.

“Please tell me, Sister…” Cecilia shook her head. “Is it even possible to find friends who will accept someone like me?”

She smiled. “Well, we will see. Friends are not something you make, but rather something you discover. Your mother was born in Adlehyde, and she was able to find wonderful friends here at Curan Abbey.”

Cecilia suddenly remembered the stories of mischief that her mother and the nun got into as students. Sister Mary winked at her, and they both burst into laughter.

“Always remember to smile,” Sister Mary continued, “And have faith in yourself! Everyone else who knows you places their faith in you easily.” She took her hands. “You are a princess of Adlehyde, but first and foremost, you are your own person. There are many dictates and duties, but in the end, you choose your life. Do you understand?”

A moment of silence. Cecilia took a deep breath, then looked up and nodded. “Yes… I think I’m ready.”

The path of Adlehyde’s princess, the path of the Guardians’ shaman… she chose the Guardians.

-o-o-o-o-o-

It didn’t take long for the news to spread to the entire abbey – Cecilia was returning to Adlehyde. There was a mad scramble for the entrance, each student trying to get there earlier than the others, and when the princess arrived with her bag of belongings, she found the entire abbey – or close to that – waiting for her.

Her eyes widened. “Everyone…”

“I knew you’d have to leave when you turned seventeen…” One student pouted. “But I didn’t know that was today!”

Cecilia gave a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry, I was being absent minded as usual…”

“Do you have to return so soon?” another student asked, and met with a nod.

And another student stepped forward. “Well, even though you weren’t here long… I’m glad I got to know you. I’ll miss you. We all will.”

“GROUP HUG!” someone cried.

Everyone crowded around Cecilia, laughing together. The princess smiled – even if they were not friends she could share her burden with… they were still her friends.

She knew – by heeding the Guardians’ call, the path would be fraught with danger. The future of the world might even be resting on her shoulders. But, one day – one day, perhaps – she would find comrades she could put her whole trust in… who would share her burden as they walked together.

**End of Chapter Three: Contact.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did a little research about Crest sorcery but wasn’t really happy with the way it works – think of throwing cards to cast magic. I was thinking, don’t they use a lot of cards then? I remember in Wild Arms: Twilight Venom, the Crest sorceress (also a treasure hunter) was always agonising over which card to use because they were all so expensive… and I really didn’t want to go that direction. So I decided to take the tattoo (Crest) method for Cecilia’s magic. :D
> 
> Also, at first I debated on the idea of having the Guardian mediums as patterned stone slabs, like the one they have in-game… but considering only Cecilia will utilise these Guardian powers, I decided throw the stone slab idea away and rely on her ability to connect with them like how she spoke to Schturdark. Yay, one less thing to carry while travelling!


	6. Four: Migrant Birds of the Wilderness

**Wild Arms: To the End of the Wilderness**  
**Chapter Four: Migrant Birds of the Wilderness**  
Written by Estrelita Farr

Surf Village, a village right in the middle of a valley, half covered in greenery, half barren. As the morning spread its rays onto the wooden houses, however, a heavy feeling hung in the air. The roosters crowed at the hens as the horses grazed, but no one tended to them. The crops waved in the gentle wind, the tools untouched.

Then, shouts cut through the air from the chief's house, scaring a flock of birds away from the nearby tree.

“He brought this trouble to us! We must get rid of him and bring peace back to Surf!”

“Now I’ve seen the power of ARM first hand. The horrible sound it makes… it’s like the roar of legendary monsters.”

“If he caused the earthquake, he must be punished!”

“I pity the boy, but he’s a wanderer. He doesn’t live the way we do… maybe he should move on.”

“Good riddance! We can’t allow such a _monster_ to stay here!”

Monster. _Monster._

Rudy’s hands trembled as they held onto the long weapon wrapped in white cloth, his late grandfather’s last gift to him… the ARM. Even as he sat at the very corner of the bedroom upstairs, he could hear every single word.

Monster. _Monster._

Pain stabbed into his heart. Even more than when that beast had struck him. Even more than a bleeding wound he once had.

He should have known better by now. Nothing good came from using his power… his ability to control an ARM. He should have just thrown that ARM away, into the sea where no one would find it… but how could he throw the one thing he had left of his grandfather’s memory…?

The shouts continued on, growing louder and louder, until finally a slam silenced them.

“Order! Order!” the chief cried. “The will of the majority is clear. The boy will be banished from the village.”

“ _That’s it_?!” a man exclaimed. “That’s the punishment?! He tried to bring a _monster_ down on us!”

More shouts. Another slam, then silence.

“That’s enough,” the chief said. “The majority has chosen banishment. Since I have taken responsibility for him, I will tell him of our decision.”

More silence.

Rudy raised his head as footsteps climbed the staircase. A knock on the door before it opened slowly, the wrinkled face of the chief grim.

“The village has reached a decision,” the old man said. “As soon as you are ready, you must leave Surf.”

The adolescent nodded, rising to his feet. Picking up his backpack, the wrapped ARM slung across his back, he stepped towards the door. Just as he passed the chief, he paused – he should at least thank him for letting a wanderer like him into his home, for trusting him at first… but Rudy found his breath stuck in his throat once more. Head lowered, he headed downstairs.

Burning. He could feel the eyes burning into his back. Even if he could hear only silence, he knew what they thought of him.

Monster. _Monster._

Unable to face the villagers, he hurried through the front door.

Outside, the village chief called and handed over a map. “Head far south to the other side of the mountains. Around the grove facing the sea, you’ll find the castle town of Adlehyde. As a wanderer, you may find a big city has more to offer you than a small, lonely village on the frontier.”

A pause. Rudy closed his eyes and gave a deep bow – the only way he could say thank you.

The slightest smile formed on the chief’s face, and they parted ways.

The gentle wind blew as Rudy raised his head. He took a deep breath and followed the dirt path to the village gate, then stopped at a high voice from behind.

“Hey, Rudy!” Tony cried as he caught up to the older boy, the white dog right behind him. “Oh, good, I caught you before you left. You really helped me out at the cave! But I…” He lowered his head. “I couldn’t help you… no one listens to me, I’m just a kid…” 

Rudy’s eyes softened.

He looked up. “But I know you’re a good person! So I, um… I wanted to at least thank you! No one wants to admit it, but everyone knows you saved my life.”

A small smile formed on Rudy’s face. The weight on his heart lifted just a little.

Tony broke into a grin. “I’ll never forget you, Rudy! Thanks again!” With a big wave of his hand, he sped off once more with the dog following after him.

The smile faded. Rudy closed his eyes, turning away from the village.

The wind tugging at his short azure hair and brown travelling cloak, the ends of the red bandanna around his head fluttering like wings of a red bird, he faced the wilderness.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Adlehyde Castle Town, the heart of Adlehyde Kingdom, a great city that seemed to be made entirely of stone. From the front gates, grey brick floor stretched as far as eyes could see, with high walls towering over the buildings with weathered red roofs. In the distance, the tall castle watched over the people, their symbol of defence and stability.

Downtown Adlehyde was a busy place, with workers rushing here and there with wheelbarrows, store owners shouting at the top of their lungs, people chatting by the fountain, children playing at the square. The delicious smell of baking bread spread from a nearby bakery, the cantering of horses loud as they pulled carriages and carts across the street, the metallic clangs from a nearby blacksmith ringing in the air. After many quiet days at the village and travelling through the wilderness, it took Rudy a while to get used to the hustle and bustle.

As he walked around downtown Adlehyde, he soon found out why there was so much excitement everywhere. An ancient culture exhibition would be held tomorrow – a grand historic reveal! A vast number of exhibits, the Golems of ancients and machines of lost Elw technology! Games and exciting prizes to be won! – or so the poster said. Something to look forward to, he supposed.

As he passed by a particular store, he stopped. There, next to the double wooden front doors, was a signboard that said, “Adlehyde ARMs Meisters – Your One-Stop Centre for ARMs Modification and Supplies!”

ARMs meisters. Rudy had seen a few of them on his travels – well, even his own grandfather was one – but he still couldn’t understand it. ARMs, cursed weapons said to be the demons’ power from the war a thousand years ago… and yet those people openly sold ARMs and ARM customisation services. Wouldn’t they be living in fear and ostracised? Wouldn’t they be considered… monsters?

Monster. _Monster._ He trembled at the thought.

But… he was curious. He had always been. Curious to see what other ARMs there were beside his, to see how different they were.

No, he couldn’t… he didn’t want a repeat of Surf Village.

But… he wanted to see. Even his grandfather’s ARM seemed to agree, his back tingling at its touch through the wrapped cloth.

He kept on wavering, back and forth like a never-ending game of ball, until the door burst open and a man called out to him, “Hey, wanderer kid! You look like you want to come in! Well, come on in!”

Rudy jumped. He flushed, hesitated for a moment, and entered.

Inside the building was a workshop – a long table covered in tools by the wall, a shelf full of metal parts by another wall, a huge machine whirring loudly at the back. On the other side of the room was a descending staircase, with a sign that said, “NO ENTRY!” But, for a store specialising in ARMs, there weren’t any ARMs on display.

“I saw you standing out there for a while,” the man who invited him in said. “Interested in upgrading an ARM, wanderer kid?”

Rudy quickly shook his head.

“Maybe interested in buying one? No? Oh, come on, I’m sure you’ll fall in love with one of these!”

The man unlocked a safe and brought out a glass casing. Inside were three metal weapons about the size of a bottle, all twin-barrelled with a handle and a trigger.

Rudy felt his heart sink a little. So this store’s ARMs were small as well, just like in other stores – the largest was twice as long as his hand. Yet he was carrying his grandfather’s that was longer than his whole arm…

The ARMs meister grinned. “Nice little babies, eh? These are high quality ARMs, specially excavated from the Ruins of Memory by our specialist team based here!”

Rudy blinked – Ruins of Memory?

“Ah, I see you’re interested. You won’t find these anywhere else! All those other ARMs meisters, they usually only sell ARMs about the size of your hand!” He gestured at the glass casing. “But these? These are cheaper than other meisters’ yet the quality is better! Only one million gella each!”

He quickly shook his head again, but the man went on and on, trying to get him to purchase even one. He backed away, throwing glances over a shoulder for an opportunity to escape–

_BONK!_

A book came flying and smacked the back of the man’s head. His eyes glazed, and he collapsed limply on the floor.

Rudy turned, eyes wide, hand automatically on his wrapped ARM.

Climbing the staircase from the basement was a woman, the deep green hair short and neat around her pretty face, the long-sleeved blouse and knee-length skirt wrapped tightly around her shapely body. She crossed her arms, glasses resting on her nose, standing half a head taller than Rudy with her high-heeled boots.

“Sorry about that, kid,” she said, “This guy’s quite pushy when it comes to selling. He shouts so loudly I can’t focus on my work.”

Filled with relief, Rudy gave a quick bow.

“Oh, don’t worry about it.”

At that moment, a yell came from outside. And another. Through the window, they could see people turning in a particular direction.

“I wonder what happened. Should I go check?” The woman smiled. “It’s kind of exciting, isn’t it? We all have the urge to stop and look at accidents on the street…”

The boy nodded.

The shouts grew louder and louder. Two men ran past the window and barged in through the door, breathing heavily, their eyes wide.

“Boss! Emergency!” one of them cried. “There’s been an accident up at Lolithia’s Coffin!”

The woman slapped her forehead with a groan. “Oh no, not the excavation site… quick, tell me what happened!”

“The earthquake caused much more damage than anticipated! Parts of the wall collapsed and monsters have come into the site! Some of the workers were attacked, but no one’s been killed yet.”

Damaged by an earthquake… Rudy closed his eyes. If the Surf villagers were right, he was the one who caused all these problems…

The woman thought for a moment, then shoved a finger forward. “Organise a group! Drive out those monsters!”

The men gasped, and one of them stammered, “N-no can do, boss! None of the workers have any experience fighting monsters! Besides, they have us outnumbered! They’re too much for us!”

A sigh. “I see. Leave the monsters to me, then. In the meantime, get back to work! Pour all your efforts into restoring the ruins! The exhibition is coming up soon, and I’m determined to bring Lolithia back after one thousand years of sleep!”

“Yes, ma'am!” And they sped off once more.

She heaved another sigh as she turned to the boy. “Well, as you’ve heard, there’s trouble at my site. And here you are, a young wanderer… no doubt you’ve fought your share of monsters.”

Rudy nodded.

“Would you agree to do a little house cleaning with those monsters in a ruin? Since you have an ARM of that size, I think this should be a piece of cake for you.”

He froze. How did she–

She chuckled. “Any ARMs meister can spot an ARM a mile away, even if it’s wrapped up like yours. Don’t worry, as much as I’d like to examine it, I won’t steal it from you.”

A sigh of relief.

“So, what do you think? I believe it will be a great opportunity for you to study Lolithia’s Coffin too. I’ll give you five thousand gella, payable upon your success. That’s not a bad offer, is it?”

He gave another nod, guilt weighing heavily on his heart. Even if she didn’t offer payment, he would have gone anyway… he had to fix what he had done.

“Good, I knew you’d take it. You look as though you blame yourself for what transpired. Maybe investigating this will help you too.”

Yes… perhaps it would.

“In any case, we need to focus on our tasks.” She smiled. “I’m Emma Hetfield, in charge of excavating the artefact. I’m an engineer.”

He lowered his head, mustering the courage before whispering, “R-Rudy… Rudy Roughnight.”

A pause. A thoughtful look washed over Emma’s face, then it disappeared. “It's nice to meet you, Rudy. I’m off to the excavation site up north where Lolithia’s Coffin is located.” She frowned. “It’s a dangerous place, so please be well prepared. I cannot stress this enough. I’ll meet you there… and if I were you, I’d gather up a group before heading up.”

Rudy’s heart jolted. Gathering up a group… meant he would need to speak to people. Speak _up_ to people. But, until now, he still had trouble speaking properly to anyone, his voice barely above a whisper… how on Filgaia was he going to convince people to join him?

-o-o-o-o-o-

Cecilia sat at a window seat at the inn’s restaurant, gazing outside with a smile, a steaming cup of earl grey tea in her hand. She watched as people passed by and tried to guess what they did for a living – a wanderer? A carpenter? A librarian? – and wondered if she was ever right. It had already been five years since she last returned to Adlehyde Castle Town… she would like to enjoy the city a little more before heading back to the castle. Surely her father wouldn’t mind her being a little late.

However, for some reason a particular azure-haired adolescent boy kept running up and down the same street. He approached a passer-by and tried to talk, but the latter merely held up a hand and left. When he approached another, the same thing happened. And one passer-by actually started yelling, causing the boy to lower his head as though in shame.

He seemed so… lost. As lost as Cecilia had felt when the Guardian first called out to her. A whirling confusion, wishing someone would help… if no one would help him, she would.

She paid the innkeeper and stepped outside, long golden hair gleaming in the sun, travelling cloak wrapped around the shoulders of her frock.

The boy was still there, glancing about. She approached him with a smile, partly noticing they were about the same height. “Hello. I couldn’t help but to notice you’re asking around. Is there something I could help you with?”

He hesitated before answering, “There’s… an accident at Lolithia’s Coffin… I… I’m gathering people to clear the monsters from there.”

His voice was so soft, as though he was afraid his voice would be heard.

Wait… did he say Lolithia’s Coffin? The very place the Guardian had asked her to go to? The timing couldn’t have been better.

“May I accompany you to Lolithia’s Coffin?” she asked. “I’m Cecilia. I’m familiar with Crest sorcery.”

A small smile formed on his face. “Rudy.” A pause, and he tapped on the sheathed sword at his belt. A swordsman, she gathered, and she didn’t ask about that long wrapped item at his back.

Together, they set off to find a third member for their party. The sorceress returned to the inn’s restaurant to ask a few wanderers there, but they were either too drunk or too interested in picking her up to join them. The duo walked all over the city but didn’t find anyone suitable.

Eventually, Cecilia sighed. Perhaps there was no choice after all. “Well, let’s head to the castle, I think we should be able to find some warriors there… the captain might even lend us a few people.”

Rudy blinked.

“Oh, don’t worry, it’s open to the general public. My fa– I mean, the king is kind and prefers diplomacy over dictatorship.”

He nodded, but said nothing.

They followed the street through the city, past the houses, past the stores, upstairs, downstairs, a slope down, a slope up. Eventually they reached the great wooden gate that led to the castle. The gate guards saluted at them – Cecilia’s heart jolted; did they recognise her? – and wished them a good day as they strode past.

Thick walls towered over them, the bridge stretched far and wide in front of them. A few strips of grass lined the sides, the trees swaying in the wind, the little bit of greenery left in the city. Two more soldiers saluted at the duo as they entered the tall double doors at the end.

Once inside, Rudy’s eyes widened as they focused upward. A high ceiling – higher than three floors – with grand shining chandeliers lighting the entrance hall. Thick red carpet lined the floor, a deep royal colour, leading the way up the staircase to the audience chamber. Rudy started up the staircase when Cecilia grabbed his arm (“U-um, I think the captain’s this way!”) and pulled him down a particular hallway – it wouldn’t do to bump into her father before she got to Lolithia’s Coffin.

She led him through the castle, along the numerous hallways. A passing soldier saluted at them. Each time they arrived at a corner, she took a peep before gesturing to him to follow. Whenever she caught sight of certain people – a familiar minister, her old chambermaid – she swallowed a gasp and pulled Rudy down another hallway (“I-I wonder if it’s this way!”) before they would see her. He blinked, but just followed her quietly.

Cecilia giggled. This was actually kind of fun.

At a particular hallway, the duo came across a young man about a head taller than both of them, hand on the chin as his golden eyes fixed on a locked colourful door in the wall. His long blond hair was tied into a low ponytail with a green ribbon, and the long brown trench coat and sheathed katana indicated he was a wanderer.

“There’s probably an abundance of treasure behind this flashy door…” he muttered.

Cecilia paused – should she alert the guards? But that was an infamous door, with such strong magic that no one could open it for generations… it should be fine.

As they stopped behind him, the young man glanced at them and returned his gaze to the door.

A moment passed.

Suddenly he sprang back with his hands up, making the other two jump. “I wasn’t going anywhere with a locked door in front of me!”

They stared at him.

“…wait… you don’t work for the castle… don’t scare me like that.” A relieved sigh, then he grinned. “Well, looks like you two are wanderers too, by your cloaks. Know where I can make some money, or maybe find some treasure?”

“Um…” Cecilia wasn’t sure about the monetary reward.

Rudy gave a nod. “Clearing monsters from Lolithia’s Coffin – five thousand gella for all of us.”

“What?” the young man said.

He reddened and repeated the message.

“What?”

“Oh, come on, Jack,” came a voice from inside the man’s coat pocket, “Are you so used to your own loud voice that you’ve gotten deaf?”

Jack scowled. “H-hey!”

A blue mouse about the size of a rabbit jumped onto his shoulder. “He said there’s a job to clear monsters from Lolithia’s Coffin.”

“…did you say Lolithia?”

“I did.” He turned to Rudy. “Did you?”

The boy blinked, then nodded.

Jack grinned. “Well, we also have some business with Lolithia.” He held out a hand. “I’m Jack. And my pardner here is Hanpan. Like it or not, we’re coming with you!”

And they all shook hands, suddenly a team of three people and a Wind Mouse.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Lolithia’s Coffin was an ancient ruin in mountains north of Adlehyde, about half an hour’s walk away. Round lights shone in the metal ceiling, perhaps powered by magic. The tiled floors cracked as though something had torn through them, wide bronze pipes lined the walls as though to transport something. A few workers hung around near the entrance, as though unwilling to go further into the ruins.

Somewhere to the right, the group could hear Emma shouting, “What could it be?! The ruin’s power must be restored! Why isn’t it working?! Oh, _where_ did my calculations go wrong?!”

In the small room that had become a makeshift office – with long tables, a few chairs and a whole lot of scattered papers – Emma paced the floor, chin in hand, pen behind ear. Despite the wanderers standing at the door for a while, she didn’t notice them until Jack cleared his throat loudly.

She looked up and smiled. “Ah, Rudy! I’m impressed, you somehow found an exploring party. Good job!”

Rudy reddened.

“Well, good luck, I’m sure you’ll need it! I’ll get back to my work. I have a noble mission to restore power to the ruins. If you meet Lolithia, let me know.”

They nodded before leaving the room and headed further into the ruin.

They emerged in a narrow valley, with the hot afternoon sun blazing down onto them. High above the rocks, they caught sight of two gigantic metal cranes extending thick metal rope down into the mountains. This was certainly a large project… for what reason did they need such huge machines?

Through metal double doors the ruin went on, still, silent. Their footsteps rang across the hallways, loud and intrusive. Metal pipes continued from one hallway to another as the round lights in the metal ceilings lit the place. Large cracks tore across the dirty brown tiles, some of the walls crumbled to reveal openings… likely from the earthquake. Rudy’s eyes darkened at the cracks.

Suddenly, a screech.

From an opening in the crumbled wall, three metallic monsters that Hanpan called robots charged, running on their four legs like horses. The crimson glass eye shone, as though to burn them.

Without waiting Jack rushed in with a burst of speed, a blur of golden hair and brown coat. A flash of light, a flurry of slashes, and, as he sheathed the katana once more, the robot fell apart into sparking pieces.

A small smile spread across Cecilia’s face, as though to say, _ah, a Fast Draw swordsman, and was that Accelerator?_ The pattern on her back shining a brilliant blue through her clothes, she swung her staff forward and formed a blue magic circle, runic characters lining the edges. An orb of water imprisoned another robot, and when it exploded, the robot collapsed in a sparking heap. 

Jack grinned. A Crest sorceress? This team was starting to look interesting.

The third robot charged. Rudy hesitated, both hands tightly gripping the hilt of the sword. Crimson eyes narrowed, he sped forward with the blade raised–

_Clang!_

And the blade slid across the floor, leaving him to stare at the robot with nothing in his hands.

The others stared at him.

He flushed.

The metallic monster charged once more. He dived towards the sword. As he sprang to his feet, sword in hand, he rushed forward.

Jack slapped his head as he watched fumbled strike after fumbled strike… this was hopeless. Sure, the boy had pretty good footwork, dodging nimbly left and right, but the way he handled a sword… geez, everything was wrong. The way he held the hilt was wrong. The timing he swung the blade was wrong. His very posture was wrong. Good Guardian, where did he learn his swordplay from?

Eventually, though, the robot fell to the ground, unmoving. Shoulders heaving, Rudy returned the sword to its sheath. Slowly, he turned to face his staring companions.

The treasure hunter opened his mouth, ready to give him a piece of his mind – that was terrible swordplay! He had better stay back and not distract them! How on earth did he survive as a wanderer? – but as he gazed at the boy’s downcast eyes, like a guilty child waiting to be scolded… he hadn’t the heart to say anything. Throwing his hands up, he turned and continued down the hallway.

Hanpan chuckled from his shoulder. “You’ve gotten soft, Jack.”

“Oh, shut up.”

Rudy watched them go with a sigh. He glanced at the sword at his waist, suddenly wishing he could just throw the useless thing away… but it was either that or revealing his ARM.

Monster. _Monster._

No, he didn’t want a repeat of Surf Village…

In front of him, Cecilia gave a gentle smile as though to reassure him. He returned the smile, albeit a small one, and together they rejoined the others.

They advanced through the ruin, clearing the place of metallic monsters as they went, an easy task with Jack’s Fast Draw, Cecilia’s Crest sorcery and occasionally Rudy’s novice swordplay. When they reached a dark area of the ruin, the lights in the ceiling unlit, Cecilia conjured an orb of light that floated above her head, its brilliant light leading the way forward.

More hallways, more monsters. The ruin seemed to go on and on without an end in sight. When would they meet the thing called Lolithia?

Then, Jack stopped and held a hand up. The other two stopped behind him.

Through the large open doors in front, they could hear it – a loud crackling.

Sparks. Sparks filled the entire hall like burning white snakes, the occasional flash blinding. The very air crackled with energy, with electricity, and right in the middle of it was a huge monster, a giant turtle nearly as large as the hall, spikes extending from its shell like gigantic fangs. The sparks gathered around its body, like a whirlwind of white.

Jack shook his head. “Looks like that thing found a home…”

Hanpan’s fur bristled at the crackling air. “It’s eating the energy from those machines! If we defeat it, we might be able to restore power to the ruins!”

The monster turned. The golden eyes flashed, then it raised its head and let out a long, low roar, the fangs gleaming in the sparks. The group backed away slowly.

“We must be careful!” Cecilia cried. “It intends to eat _us_ as well!”

“That’s kind of obvious!” Jack retorted.

A rush of lightning. The group parted with a cry just as it struck the floor, releasing sparks like wriggling blue snakes. Jack and Rudy sped to the sides, eyes focused, blades gleaming in the light, and charged through an opening in the sparks–

_Flash._

A gasp as they leapt back, as the sparks snapped at their feet. Another opening, another charge. Another flash, another gasp. Rudy retreated, feeling the crackling of electricity on his arm, and found Jack doing the same – with all the lightning bolts, there was no way there could go near enough to even attack.

A rush of water. An orb of water imprisoned the turtle and exploded in a flash of light. The creature roared, the sparks flailing uncontrollably from its shell… then fading. Gone. All that was left was the giant turtle in the middle of the room.

Rudy and Jack rushed in. A single slash, a flurry of slashes. The blades barely scratched the diamond-hard shell or the heavily-scaled head and neck. The turtle growled and snapped its jaws open. A bright light shone. Rudy’s eyes widened as he drew back just as lightning shot past him.

Jack drew an upward slash with a cry. A burst of light as an arc of blue light sliced into the shell. A splatter of blood, a growl.

He grinned. “Oh yeah! Who’s the boss now–”

Its golden eyes blazed. At him. Its jaws opened, its throat burning with bright white light.

_Flash._

A rush of lightning, surrounding the creature.

“Run!” Hanpan yelled from the side as he rushed towards the entrance. “And I mean RUN!”

The trio’s eyes widened, then they turned back and sped down the hallway they came from.

A flash of light. 

Cecilia screamed as she stumbled. Rudy caught her by the arm, and they continued to run.

A crackle of power.

Jack swore, only to have a loud roar drown his voice.

“Come on!” Hanpan cried from the other end of the hallway.

A rumble. Low at first, then growing louder and louder. LOUDER.

Rudy shot a glance over a shoulder. His eyes widened.

A gigantic burst of lightning. Tearing towards them like a great dragon unleashed.

He gave a cry. The three of them continued to run, to reach the end of the hallway… but the bright light engulfed them.

Pain. Rudy’s legs buckled beneath him. His body trembled, the white-hot snakes of electricity rushing through his veins.

A low growl. A short rumble as the creature took a step. And another. And another.

He forced his eyes open. Shoulders heaving, he pushed himself up to his knees. Hands shaking, he reached for his sword… only to find it gone. The ARM burnt into his back, beckoning him… but no, he shouldn’t, he mustn’t.

The monster continued towards them. Its golden eyes blazed, its jaws gleamed in the lightning sparks that surrounded it like a shield.

He saw Cecilia raise her head. She clenched her teeth as she raised a trembling hand, yet all she could muster was a short burst of blue.

The monster slowed to a stop.

He saw Jack force himself onto one knee. The latter swung his blade with a cry, but all that came out was a flickering arc of light. He cursed under his breath.

The jaws snapped open once more. Its throat shone with white-hot electricity.

Rudy closed his eyes. The ARM burnt into his back.

He knew. Even after Surf Village, even now, between saving others or risk being called a monster… _monster_ … he knew what his choice was. There was no question.

The turtle growled. The lightning crackled in its throat–

_ROAR._

A great cry cut through the air, like the sharp clap of thunder. Like the roar of legendary beasts. It exploded at the turtle’s head, and it snarled as it stumbled back.

All eyes turned. Then widened.

Rudy. Down on one knee, shoulders heaving, with one hand on the floor for balance, the other wielding a weapon that wasn’t the sword. A long single-barrelled weapon, the metal gleaming in the light of the ruin, the wooden handle solid.

An ARM.

The monster roared, golden eyes blazing. It charged at him, the ruin shaking with every step. 

He fired once more, sending another thunderous _ROAR_ through the ruins.

The shot exploded at its head. The sheer force knocked it back two steps, lightning sparks escaping from its shell. The blood splattered onto the ground.

Another shot. A pause, another shot. And another. And another. Each exploded at its head with dead accuracy. Each sent it stumbling back as it roared.

Rudy stopped. Smoke escaped from the outer end of the ARM.

The turtle gave one final growl… and collapsed onto the floor.

Everyone else continued to stare.

It stayed there, unmoving–

_Growl._

Eyes blazing, sparks flaring, the creature rose to its feet once more. Its throat burnt once more with white-hot electricity… its final shot.

Rudy gasped. He fumbled at his belt for more bullets–

A burst of water. The monster roared as an orb of water exploded and robbed it of electricity.

A rush of wind. Jack sped forward in a blur, the sheathed katana shining. A great diagonal slash. A burst of light. And, as he sheathed the blade once more, a splatter of blood.

The monster growled and collapsed onto the floor once more. This time, it no longer moved.

A moment passed. 

Slowly, all eyes turned towards Rudy.

Stares. Burning into him… just like at Surf Village.

The courage from before left him. He turned away, clutching the ARM to his chest. Again… again he had to rely on the ARM. Again he had to reveal it, and now he had to face the consequences.

He shut his eyes tightly. His heart braced. Braced for the word that was sure to come.

Monster… mons–

A slap on his back. He jumped and came face-to-face with an indignant Jack.

“How long were you planning to wait before bringing out that thing?!” the treasure hunter cried. “Until we’re _fried potatoes_?!”

Rudy stared. Slowly, he shook his head.

“Well, at least you did take it out in the end… so thanks for that.” He grinned. “It’s an ARM, isn’t it? An Amazing Random Manifestation?”

Hanpan slapped his head. “Jack… ARM stands for Advanced Relic Machine.” He hopped back onto Jack’s shoulder. “You _do_ know how ARMs came about… right?”

“What? You mean we don’t make them?”

Another head-slap. “I can’t believe how much of a dimwit you are… ARMs are a piece of lost technology excavated from ruins. ARMs meisters are the specialists who restore them to working condition.”

“…really?”

“Really.”

“Some believe ARMs to be cursed weapons…” Cecilia’s eyes softened. “Is that why you were hiding it, Rudy…?”

The boy lowered his head. The slightest nod.

Jack slapped his back again. “Ah, don’t worry about it! Anyone who says that can go take a walk in a sandstorm! A weapon as powerful as that has Jack’s seal of approval! There’s just one thing…” He crossed his arms. “Do me a good favour and throw that freaking cheap sword away. It’s useless. Think of a headless chicken flailing with a sword!”

Cecilia and Hanpan burst into laughter. Rudy reddened, covering his face with one hand… though eventually he, too, couldn’t suppress a small smile.

Grandfather had always talked about bonds, about finding comrades… and now, as Rudy strode among his companions, perhaps he had finally found his.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Now that the turtle monster was no longer absorbing energy from the ruin, the round lights in the metal ceiling sprang back to life, turning the hallways as bright as day. The group continued through to the ruins, to the end of the hallway, past the room the turtle monster was previously in and through a massive pair of metal doors that opened.

They stopped. Their gaze moved slowly upward.

A _gigantic_ humanoid robot. With feet larger than each of them, fists and head round like boulders, a round body that could possibly fit at least a hundred people if it was hollow, it stood even taller than a four-floor building.

Jack’s jaw hung. “What… is this creature…?!”

“It looks like a Golem,” Hanpan suggested.

Rudy and Cecilia glanced at him, and the latter said, “A Golem? You mean the Golems from the thousand-year-old legends, _that_ Golem?”

Jack gasped as he held out an arm for the Wind Mouse to jump onto. “W-wait a minute! We came here looking for Absolute Power. Does that mean… the Absolute Power is…”

“…this Golem?” the sorceress finished hopefully.

He raked his hair. “ _Argh!_ I don’t believe it! I can’t control this huge creature! Does it even move?! I really don’t believe it!!”

Hanpan hopped up and down, waving his arms. “Settle down, Jack! Getting angry won’t help!”

It took a while to calm Jack down, but it didn’t take long for the group to clear the remaining metallic monsters from the area while Rudy returned to the entrance to inform the scientist. A loud exclamation later, Emma rushed to the scene with all of her workers, and they all gaped at the gigantic Golem standing silently in the hall.

Then they got to work. Each of the workers rushed out and rushed back in with a piece of metal. Some stopped to weld some pieces together, others carefully climbed the Golem to tie some metal ropes. The trio and Wind Mouse found themselves accidentally getting in the workers’ way so often that one man finally shooed them out as though they were chickens. Emma chuckled and led them elsewhere to observe the activity.

In the narrow valley outside the ruin, they climbed an upward slope to the top where they had earlier seen the two gigantic metal cranes standing upright. The thick metal ropes extended from the cranes into a huge hole from which they could hear the ringing clangs of metal striking metal, the shouts of the workers.

“We’ve been excavating these ruins in hopes of exhibiting this Golem specimen in the ancient culture exhibition,” Emma explained. “You know how the legend goes, don’t you?”

Cecilia nodded. “Yes. A thousand years ago when Filgaia was still green, eight giant weapons were created to fight alien demons that invaded our peaceful world… these eight weapons were Golems. The severe battle ruined our world, and when it ended, the Golems were sealed away…”

“Exactly right. Many of these weapons have just recently been excavated in various ruins – their conditions have been wonderful. We have plans to excavate all eight of them. This one we planned to excavate soon.” 

“This Golem is gigantic. How are you going to carry it? Do you think it can move?”

She shook her head. “Unfortunately, this Golem can’t move on its own. Our current technology isn’t sufficient to fix it, so we’ll have to remove it from the ruins with a much more primitive method.” She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted down, “Come on, get going! We can’t take all day just to move it out!”

The adventurers glanced at each other – _move_?

A loud clank. And another. And another. Then a low rumble… and the ground started to shake.

The metal rope pulled, tight with tension as the cranes groaned. Slowly, before the group’s eyes, the smooth grey head of the Golem emerged, and eventually its full figure was in plain view, gleaming in the sunlight. The wanderers could only gape.

Emma grinned proudly. “Now presenting… the Emma Motor! It may not have been built for this exact task, but it’s proven very useful.” She patted the Golem’s foot. “This Golem’s name is Lolithia. The ruins’ name is derived from it. It’s been dormant for centuries, yet its condition is excellent, pristine, and complete. Such a mystery, isn’t it?”

They nodded. In the sun, the Golem’s armour gleamed like newly polished metal, without even a hint of dust.

“This Golem can finally see the light of day.” Emma smiled at the others. “It wouldn’t be possible without your hard work and, of course, the Emma Motor!”

Jack grinned. “Since we’ve obviously done a great job, how about giving us our payment?”

“Ah… well, the workers and I will be working overtime to prepare this Golem for the exhibition, therefore… do you think you can wait a little while for the payment?”

“Now wait a–”

She clasped her hands together. “Don’t worry! I’ll definitely pay you your reward! Please understand I can’t leave this extraordinary find alone.”

He groaned… but the others nodded, leaving him with no choice.

-o-o-o-o-o-

By the time the group of four reached the front gates of Adlehyde Castle Town, the sky was already a brilliant orange, the sun casting its glow on the weathered roofs of the castle city. Caws filled the air as the birds returned to their nests, as the people returned home for the day.

Jack sighed. “I thought I’ve finally found my Absolute Power… why did I get my hopes up?”

“The Golem…” Cecilia shook her head. “Lolithia is supposed to be completely inactive and safe, correct?”

The Wind Mouse nodded. “I believe once the Golem has finished its job as a weapon, it’s programmed to no longer be functional after that. So, like that engineer said, it’s not operational.”

If that was so, then they had nothing to worry about. But Cecilia could not shake off this feeling, this deep, cold feeling in her heart… the Guardian said there would be a battle with the ‘steel menace’, but if that’s not about Lolithia, what could it mean…?

Jack gave another loud sigh. “Man, who does that engineer think we are? We don’t work for free!”

Hanpan patted his shoulder. “We’ll find out tomorrow. We don’t need to be in a hurry. After all, we had a very unusual day.”

“Well, tomorrow we’ll be accepting rewards and visiting the ancient culture exhibition. I’m planning another trip out to the ruins after we’re finished.” He grinned. “But I’ll stick around until then.”

Cecilia lowered her head. “We just met… do we have to say goodbye already…?”

A shrug. “That’s the life of a wanderer. We always sleep under a different sky. Speaking of sleep… why don’t we find lodging for the night and wait for tomorrow’s exhibition?”

Rudy gave a nod.

A pause, and Cecilia spoke up, “I’m sorry, but I have to… get going now.”

Jack glanced at her. “You already have a place to stay? Or… do you live in this town?”

“Um… yes… you could say that.” She closed her eyes. “I didn’t understand why I felt so determined to find out what the word Lolithia meant. But venturing into the ruin with you three gave me a feeling that… a feeling I am a part of something…” She smiled. “A part of a team. I really needed that! Even if we must now part ways, I will never forget this experience.”

He scratched his head awkwardly. “Ah, all right… great…”

Hanpan waved a hand. “It’s been a pleasure, missy.”

Rudy nodded with a small smile.

Cecilia gave each one of them a glance. “I’m planning to attend the exhibition tomorrow. Perhaps we’ll see each other… and if by any chance we do… please do not treat me any differently…” She gave a quick bow at them, then turned and left in the direction of the castle.

The swordsman scratched his head. “What was that all about?”

Hanpan shrugged. “You never know… she could be a princess.”

“Knock it off. You know I don’t get along with those kinds of people.”

Rudy glanced in the direction Cecilia went. The feeling of being part of a team… perhaps they would meet again tomorrow.

As the sunset rays shone onto them, two wanderers and a Wind Mouse left together in one direction, and, in the audience chamber of the castle, a princess reunited with her father.

**End of Chapter Four: Migrant Birds of the Wilderness.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On that little scene about Rudy debating to enter the ARMs store, I thought it’d add a nice touch to Rudy’s PoV after Surf Village, and I find this way of meeting Cecilia, Jack and Hanpan better than the game’s ‘let’s go pick up our party members’ feel. :D


	7. Five: From Anxiety to Impatience

**Wild Arms: To the End of the Wilderness**  
 **Chapter Five: From Anxiety to Impatience**  
Written by Estrelita Farr

_Wheeeee… bang! Boom! POW!_

Rudy and Jack jumped at the sounds during breakfast and spilt their coffee, hands at their weapons as they sprang to their feet, as Hanpan’s fur bristled. They glanced at each other as the shrill whistle started once more, then out the window just in time to see the colourful starbursts exploding in the clear blue sky.

Fireworks. That was how the morning of Adlehyde’s ancient culture exhibition began.

According to the innkeeper, the exhibition would be at the large building on the eastern side of town, which the king had built just for this purpose. When the trio followed the signs and arrived at a square paved with neat grey bricks, the place was more of a festival than an exhibition. Colourful banners and flags waved in the wind, bundles of balloons high in the air. Even more colourful stalls stood at the sides of the square, with the owners shouting themselves hoarse selling ice cold drinks as colourful as a rainbow, stuffed dolls that were the miniature version of Golems, foodstuff that were supposedly made from recipes passed down from the Elw.

Rudy didn’t think he had seen so many colours at once before, or even been to a place _this_ crowded before. He couldn’t even walk three steps without bumping into someone’s shoulder, flushing and bowing profusely each time, but the passer-by didn’t even glance at him as they went on their way. By the eighth bump and probably the hundredth bow, Jack grabbed him by the shoulder with a grin.

“Relax!” he said. “Everyone’s having too much fun to even pay attention to you! Why don’t we have some fun too while we look for that lady scientist?”

Hanpan chuckled as he hopped onto Rudy’s shoulder. “Well, he’s right, you know! How often do you see a festival like this?”

The boy nodded with a little smile.

Through the crowd they went with Jack in the lead, stopping at whatever he thought was interesting. A race, a ball toss game, a smack-an-imp game, a ring toss game and even more games – all of which he aced with a grin.

“You’re pretty good with carnival games,” Hanpan said, shaking his head. “Now if only you’re just as lucky with treasure…”

Jack frowned. “Hey, are you implying it’s all just luck?!”

Eventually, after completing one round of the square, the trio entered the large stone building where the actual exhibition was held. Just past the entrance they finally found Emma, who stood admiring a particular relic on display.

“Ah, I was waiting for you." She handed over some gella notes. “Here's five thousand gella just like I promised. You don’t need a receipt, do you?”

Rudy shook his head. He handed Jack and Hanpan their share, making a mental note to give Cecilia hers later.

“Seeing so much gella leave my pockets makes me queasy… which is funny since it’s not even my own.” Emma smiled. “Well, have a look around. You’ll find quite a few interesting items on display.”

Compared to the exciting festival outside, the exhibition hall was much more subdued. The visitors spoke in hushed voices. The brown marble so polished that Rudy could see his face clearly on its surface, the yellow walls decorated with paintings, each raised platform proudly displayed a piece of relic from the Great Demon War a thousand years ago. Rudy and Jack strode from display to display, stopping only to admire a relic or read the sign, and sometimes Hanpan would add a bit from his experience of exploring ruins.

“A thousand years ago,” one sign said, “When the world was still green, alien invaders from another world, which we called ‘demons’, came to claim Filgaia for their own. The humans, the Elw and the Guardians banded together in response and fought back. During this time, the time we call the Great Demon War, the Elw created the eight giant Golems with their advanced technology to help protect the world.”

They looked up. On three wide platforms, Lolithia and two other Golems stood high, stoic, silent. Their individual signs described their strengths, weaknesses and the weapons they had. For their size, their weapons had to be destructive – Rudy felt his ARM was puny compared to that.

“An ARM,” the next sign said, “can only be initiated by the willpower of those who bear it. To initiate it, the bearer must become a part of the ARM’s bio-mechanical structure and accept it as an extension of their body. The ARM’s structure becomes more complex as its size and strength increase, thus controlling it increases in difficulty. This particular ARM was excavated from the Withered Ruins. Currently there is no one who can handle the magnitude and complexity of this ARM.”

Rudy stared at the ARM, the long ARM that was just slightly larger than his grandfather’s… was there truly no one could handle it? Perhaps he really was different from everyone else…

They continued on – an excavated skeleton with metal parts, a model of a flying bird-like machine, the fossil of an old mechanical lizard-like weapon. After a while, however, Jack yawned loudly.

“Man, this is so boring,” he complained. “Why don’t we head back to town for some grub?”

Hanpan frowned, but after much insistence, he relented.

Downtown Adlehyde was quiet compared to the noisy festival square, and even the usually crowded marketplace was mostly empty – no clip-clop of horses, no clangs of blacksmithing, no shouts from the stores.

But, as they strode down a particular street, there was a quiet sob. Rudy paused, listening, and glanced around the corner.

A small boy stood alone, sobbing, one hand rubbing his eyes, the other holding onto the string of a floating red balloon. Lost and alone… like what Rudy had often felt. He knelt in front of him, asking in a soft voice, “What’s wrong…?”

“F-Father!” the small boy cried. “I-I can’t find my father!”

His eyes softened. “I’ll help you find your father.”

He looked up. “Y-you will? Ah!” The string slipped out of his hand.

The red balloon floated upward. Everyone’s eyes followed as it floated further into the sky, the clear blue sky over Adlehyde, the perfect weather for the ancient culture exhibition.

_Growl._

Suddenly the sky darkened. Dark clouds swirled above the castle town, spiralling like a tornado. Lightning flashed and thunder growled, as though a great creature was awakening.

All eyes widened.

A crack shot across the sky, as though it was glass. A huge opening appeared, revealing swirling crimson light, the colour of blood. A gleaming piece fell. And another. And another.

Then, from the split in the sky, a great sword of white light flashed and pierced the castle town.

Flames. Roaring golden flames, threatening to turn everything into ashes. Several _things_ rained down onto the city, crashing in a burst of smoke. The people could only stare as the smoke dispersed, revealing its occupants.

Skeletons. Their metallic body and amour gleaming in the light of the flames, one sword in each bony hand. They marched forward, stoic and silent, their eyes hollow.

A deathly silence hung in the air as the people stared, unable to move. One woman screamed, then everyone started running in frenzied screams.

Cursing under his breath, Jack shoved Hanpan into the safety of his pocket before charging forward.

The small boy wailed, and Rudy stepped in front of him. At first his hand went for the sheathed sword. A pause, then he whipped out his grandfather’s ARM, its white cloth fluttering away. Something about these skeletons felt ominous, otherworldly… and he couldn’t risk anyone’s life by insisting on the cheap sword.

The skeletons continued marching… then, as though by a command, they charged with blades raised above their heads.

Crimson eyes narrowed, Rudy aimed his ARM forward and fired, a great thunderous roar tearing through the air. The bullet exploded at one skeleton’s chest, breaking half the armour and ribcage into pieces, but it still continued to rush at them. Another shot blew its skull into pieces. It slowed to a walk, a crawl, before collapsing onto the ground. Just as he straightened, he gasped and raised his ARM just in time to block another skeleton’s sword, gritting his teeth, the small boy crying loudly behind him.

Jack gave a cry as his sheathed katana shone. A flash of blade and his Speed Fang tore two skeletons into halves. A swing of the sheath, a burst of wind, a flurry of slashes. He sped past the heaps of metallic bones, cursing under his breath at the sight of Rudy struggling with two skeletons at melee range to protect the child. Another Speed Fang and the remaining skeletons collapsed as well.

The two wanderers exchanged glances, nodded and started running, with Rudy holding the child’s hand.

They had to find somewhere safe, and the castle was the only place seemingly fortified enough. But with that split in the sky and the sword of light that came from it… somewhere safe was a place that didn’t seem to exist.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Cecilia screamed as something crashed onto the ground near her. From the burst of smoke, more metallic skeletons emerged, their eyes hollow. Her hands tightly gripped her magic staff as the Crest on her back shone, a brightness that rivalled the burst of light that engulfed one skeleton. Another light and another skeleton dissolved.

But there was no end to them. Each one she defeated, another took its place. Again and again. Her shoulder heaved as she drew back, as more skeletons surrounded her–

A familiar thunderous roar. The familiar explosion tearing a skeleton apart. And another, and another. Her heart leapt. That had to be–

Three skeletons rushed at her, the blades gleaming in the fire. Her breath stuck in her throat, she quickly conjured the magic circle, but the blades were faster–

A blur of gold and brown. A burst of light. A familiar arc of blue light, slicing the skeletons cleanly into half.

Just as she looked up, Jack skidded to a stop right in front of her. Some distance away she could see Rudy running towards them, one hand holding a small boy’s hand, the other firing the ARM.

“Rudy! Jack!” she cried. “What are you doing–”

“Take care of the monsters first!” Jack yelled. “Then we can talk all we want!” And he rushed forward to meet the incoming skeletons.

As Rudy arrived at Cecilia’s side with the child, another skeleton leapt at them. He swung his ARM at its skull like a club, knocking it right off, then in one swift motion shoved three bullets into the ARM and fired at the skull of another charging skeleton.

Cecilia knelt in front of the small boy, trying to keep her voice steady. “I need you to run to the castle, it’s safe there.”

“Father!” the boy cried. “Where’s my father?!”

“We’ll find him, please don’t worry. But I need you to run to the castle so that I know where to find you if I find your father. Can you do that?”

He nodded tearfully.

“Now go!”

He started running.

“Keep running towards the castle! And don’t stop running!” She turned to a castle guard. “Please, make sure that boy reaches safely!”

The guard struck down a skeleton before saluting. “Yes, Your Highness!”

With the boy safe, Cecilia turned her attention back to the battlefield and joined the other two. Many shots, slashes and Crest magic later, finally the last skeleton collapsed. The three of them straightened, chest heaving.

“Rudy, Jack!” the Crest sorceress shouted as she ran to them. “We’ve opened up the castle gates for all survivors! Please, help me gather them to the castle and to safety!”

Jack frowned, eyes focused on her. “You… who _are_ you?”

“We’re closing the gate in five minutes! We need to gather everyone into the castle!”

Five minutes. That wasn’t a lot of time. The other two nodded, and together they turned back into the fray.

At the bottom of the stairs a couple screamed as two skeletons rushed at them, but Rudy’s shots brought them down. As the next wave of skeletons arrived, Jack charged in a burst of light. Cecilia shouted quick instructions to the couple, who nodded and started running. Rudy shot three more skeletons down and followed after his comrades.

Four and a half minutes remaining.

Great flames blazed all over the marketplace, like a golden prison, and cries for help came from behind the flames. Rudy and Jack tried to enter, but it wasn’t long before they retreated, coughing, eyes watering from the smoke. Cecilia gave a cry before magical water rushed across the streets as though sinking underwater, the gigantic turtle materialised and swept past through the onslaught of skeletons. The water doused some of the fire, allowing the coughing people behind to escape towards the castle as Rudy and Jack cleared the area of skeletons.

Four minutes remaining.

The trio continued across the streets of downtown Adlehyde, helping as many people as they could as they supported each other. Jack sped on ahead to scout for signs of life, often the first to reach the survivors especially with his Accelerator. Rudy’s ARM shots supported him from behind, instantly bringing the skeletons down from a distance. Cecilia’s water spells spread constantly across the streets, dousing fires that held people prisoners. Often they found unmoving bodies on the streets, blackened from fire, covered with blood, but there was no time to mourn. Time ticked and ticked, like a gigantic clock in the background.

Then, finally–

“One minutes left!” Cecilia shouted. “We should return to the castle now!”

The trio turned and ran. More boulders came crashing down from the crimson split in the sky, more skeletons emerged and charged at them.

Rudy whirled around and fired, the rapid shots exploding right at three skeletons’ skulls.

Cecilia threw bursts of light at them, bringing down another two.

Four skeletons rushed at them, brandishing their blades, and turned into heaps of metallic bones from Jack’s strikes.

Forty five seconds remaining.

A soft cry came from a nearby building. A woman coughed, calling feebly as one hand reached out from beneath a pile of rubble. The trio ran to her, with Cecilia trying to pull her out as the other two cleared the rubble as fast as they could.

But the woman’s eyes glazed. Her voice faded away… and the hand fell, unmoving.

Silence.

But there was no time to mourn. Clenching their teeth, they tore their eyes away and continued running, reaching the stairs leading to the castle gate.

Fifteen seconds remaining.

A loud scream from somewhere. Rudy skidded to a stop, eyes wide, and made to turn back.

Cecilia grabbed him by the arm, shaking her head.

He gritted his teeth, wide eyes turning towards the screams, towards the fire.

Jack growled and punched him right in the face.

Rudy stopped, hand on his bruised cheek, then nodded, eyes downcast.

And they resumed running.

Five seconds remaining.

They sped up the last flight of stairs–

– _four_ –

–Cecilia stumbled–

– _three_ –

–Rudy grabbed her by the arm–

– _two_ –

–Jack shouted at them–

– _one_ –

–and they burst through the gates. Collapsing onto the stone floor, chest heaving.

A castle guard shouted to another, another shouted back. The gates started moving with a loud clank.

Cecilia raised her head, green eyes focused on the castle town of Adlehyde, her beloved Adlehyde… now covered in flames. In blood. The sight burnt into her mind, stabbing at her like a knife. Jack gritted his teeth. Hanpan closed his eyes and turned away. Rudy clenched his fists.

Then, finally… the gates slammed shut before them.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The flames raged throughout the city, like a great golden beast angered. Gleaming crimson pieces rained down from the shining split in the sky, like tears of blood. But there were no more screams, no more movement… all that was left were fallen bodies on the street, still and lifeless.

The metal skeletons gathered at the centre of the stone city, blades lowered as they formed two long lines.

From within a wall of flame, a large humanoid figure emerged. Clawed feet sent a rumble through the ground with every step, the breastplate armour glowing in the fire, a silver mane spreading down the hunched back. Golden eyes narrowed as the strong lizard-like jaws clenched, revealing two rows of fangs. The claws on the thick, muscular arms tightened into fists.

“ _Pathetic!_ ” he growled. “So incredibly weak and fragile! What has happened to humans in the past thousand years? They are simply no match for me!”

He glanced around. Aside from his two rows of metal soldiers, all he could see were flames and fallen human bodies. He laughed, a deep, booming laugh.

His preemptive strike had worked too well… to the point he had no one to kill. It was just as well – a human was no match for him anyway, as sure as his name was Berserk.

He shoved a clawed finger towards a soldier. “You! Deliver my message to the survivors trembling inside their little castle. Tell them that if they fail to deliver the Teardrop, I will demolish the castle inside out.”

The metal skeleton saluted and dashed off. At the same time, another rushed up to him and launched into a series of sounds that were a cross between a grunt and a beep.

Berserk whirled around. “ _What?!_ Golems in the castle? Have they mobilised?!”

More sounds from the soldier.

“What? They’re not operational? _FOOL_!”

A slam of his fist. The skeleton went flying into the wall of a house.

“How dare you bring me a false alarm!” Berserk roared. “Active Golems would be a force to be reckoned with!”

But it could no longer answer, for it had already fallen into a heap of metallic bones.

The lizard-like humanoid stopped.

Wait… this could be interesting. The Golems were once the pride of Filgaia, its only true defence. If he could take control of them…

Then he laughed, a deep booming laugh that rang across the burning castle town.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Silence. A deathly silence hung in the air, still, lifeless. Eyes downcast, head lowered, no one made a sound, a heavy weight on their hearts. Dark. Cold.

Cecilia’s eyes stung, but she refused to let the tears fall. Her legs were painful, sore, but she continued to pace the hallway, knotting her fingers together, constantly throwing glances at the door to the royal bedchamber.

Rudy’s eyes narrowed with worry as he watched her. On his shoulder, Hanpan gazed at her and said softly, “Cecilia… you should rest.”

Cecilia shook her head. “How could I, when my father hovers between life and death?” Her voice shook more than she intended. “No… I will wait.” She continued to pace the hallway.

Leaning against the wall, Jack frowned, focusing his gaze out the window.

A moment passed.

A soft creak of the door. Cecilia’s heart jolted as she looked up, as she ran to the maid that just came out.

“How…” She swallowed. “My father… how is he…?”

The maid curtsied. “The doctors did their best. His Majesty the king is still weak, but all right for now.”

She closed her eyes, relief flooding into her heart. Alive. Her father was alive.

Inside the royal bedchamber, the air was equally still, silent. The king lay on the bed, deathly pale, his eyes closed. Beside the bed, the basin of water was red, the bundle of bandages stained equally red. The doctors and servants bowed at Cecilia as she entered, but her stinging eyes could only focus on her father as she quietly strode across the carpet, as she knelt by the bed.

“Father…” she whispered. “Oh, Father…”

The king’s eyes slowly opened, a weak smile on his lips. “Cecilia… it is a relief to know you survived during this time of chaos…”

She gave a small smile as well. “And you, Father… I am glad.”

“Listen to me very carefully, Cecilia… I am afraid our attackers are after you. Do not surrender to them.”

“They’re… after me? Why? What do they want?”

A soft knock at the door. A soldier came rushing in and saluted. “Your Majesty! I beg your pardon, they are demanding their request to be heard!”

The king closed his eyes. “…continue…”

“Yes, Your Majesty! They say they will leave us in peace, but we must surrender the Teardrop!”

Cecilia’s hand went to her collar, to the Teardrop crystal that hung from her necklace. A memento of her late mother. It blinked gently, like a beating heart.

But, as she closed her eyes, images of the burning town flashed across her mind. Of flames. Of blood. Of screams. Of fallen people… the light of life gone from their glassy eyes. Now a mere few thousand people remained, huddling in the castle in fear… the same could happen to them.

Her eyes stung. No, she couldn’t… she couldn’t jeopardise the lives of these few thousands. She couldn’t sacrifice them… even if it was to save hundreds of thousands.

She looked up. “All right. I will surrender the Teardrop to them personally.”

The king gasped. “No! You mustn’t, Cecilia! The Teardrop has been handed down through generations, the key to unlock all the secrets of the universe, including those of Filgaia. It must only be used by those who carry out the will of the Guardians – a shaman!”

_Shaman._ The very word struck her heart.

“The key that can change the fate of the world must _not_ fall into their hands! _At any cost!_ ”

She shook her head. “Then we are left with no choice but to witness useless bloodshed, sadness and lives lost…”

“Please understand, Cecilia… sometimes a noble must make a difficult choice.” His eyes narrowed. “Whatever happens next, you are not to leave here. Not even _one_ step!”

-o-o-o-o-o-

Cecilia stepped into her bedroom, a nostalgic sight. A fire blazed in the fireplace, warm and bright, stuffed animals sat on the bed, toys from her childhood on the shelves… this place had not changed in five years.

As soon as Rudy, Jack and Hanpan stepped inside as well, the door closed behind them, followed by a soft click.

Silence.

Rudy approached the princess, eyes narrowed with concern.

Cecilia closed her eyes. “Father has asked for forgiveness, but I believe it is wrong to do nothing while innocent people are hurt. One of the soldiers knows of a secret passage that leads into town – he used to take me there when I would cry from the boredom of the castle.” She looked up at him. “We should hand over the Teardrop. I believe it is my duty. Will you help me?”

He nodded.

Jack raised a hand. “I have a pretty good idea about who’s behind this cowardly sneak attack. I’ll accompany you as needed to take them down… but I want nothing to do with the Teardrop.”

Cecilia gave a nod. “I understand.”

They tried the door, but it was locked as expected. Jack pulled out a pin from a pocket and slid it into the lock. A moment of fiddling later, it opened with another soft click, and the door swung open with the slightest creak.

The Crest sorceress led the way forward, through the hallways that led to the other end of the castle. They paused at the corners, with Jack observing the surroundings before gesturing at them to advance. They stopped when a guard passed by, they ran the moment he turned away. They hurried through the nearest door when more soldiers came their way. They continued in this manner until they reached a particular hallway with several soldiers standing guard. Jack glanced around for a way past, but shook his head at the others.

Hanpan hopped to the floor. “Well, leave it to me.”

He took a deep breath and shot across the floor like wind, blue light trailing behind him. He brushed against the soldiers’ legs, making them jump, and stopped. They stared at him, he stared back. The moment he sped the other way, the soldiers chased after him with a cry.

A moment passed, and the Wind Mouse returned from behind the trio. “Okay, just as I calculated. Let’s go.”

They continued on, stopping and hiding, until they finally reached a particular room where some of the refugees were housed.

The air was silent, heavy. A few people huddled together, eyes wide with fear. Many lay on the beds, their bandages stained red. Some sobbed quietly, others stifled their cries. Cecilia’s heart ached, then steeled as she approached the lone soldier standing guard in the room.

The soldier saluted. “Princess, what can I do for you?”

“Please, will you do me a favour? I need to know the secret passage to the town.” She closed her eyes. “I must go into town and hand over the Teardrop to prevent any more bloodshed…”

“Princess… royalty should not act from emotions. A frantic action now may jeopardise our entire future.” He frowned. “Do you understand the painful consequences of what you are about to do?”

She closed her eyes. “I am doing what I believe is right as the princess of Adlehyde.” She looked up at him. “Is that a good enough answer for you?”

A moment passed, and a nod. “Yes, I see. I will tell you all I know about the secret passage.” So, as he lowered his voice to a whisper, he provided the details.

She gave a small smile. “Thank you. I understand this was hard for you to do.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m honoured to be of any help… but please, be careful.” He saluted at her again, and the group left the room.

Some time later, in a particular hall, two large statues of horses reared atop high stone pedestals, pointing the way to the audience chamber. When Cecilia did as the soldier had explained, the stone wall behind one of the statues faded, revealing an opening and a staircase leading downwards.

A passage of old stone bricks, the staircase leading further down. A soft sound caught their attention, growing louder as they descended.

_Roar._

Waterfalls formed from the openings in the brick wall, crashing into the deep waterways. A stone bridge stretched across the waters, leading them forward. The wanderers continued on in silence, until they reached the other end with a ladder heading up to the surface.

The flames blazed, as though to turn everything into ashes. The group coughed from the smoke as they emerged from an opening in the castle wall, covering their faces as they made their way forward.

There, in the very centre of the castle city, were an army of metal skeletons. They stood in rows, stoic, silent. Facing their superior, the large lizard-like humanoid that stood towering over them, the breastplate armour glowing in the fire. As soon as his golden eyes focused on the group of humans and Wind Mouse, his strong jaws curled into a grin.

“At long last,” he growled. “Now, give me the Teardrop.”

Cecilia’s heart raced as she looked up at the humanoid, the creature that easily towered over her, but she steeled her heart and straightened. “Do you promise to leave the humans alone once I give you the Teardrop?”

A deep, booming laugh that rang across the burning city. “Of course! I have better things to do than to slaughter the helpless.”

She closed her eyes, then opened them once more and stepped forward. Her heart banged against her chest as she approached the humanoid, as chills ran down her back, down her arms… as though her entire body was screaming at her to turn back. But she forced herself forward, as she unhooked the Teardrop’s necklace from around her neck. Just five feet away she faltered for a moment, but she shook her head and held up the Teardrop crystal with trembling hands.

As long as she could save her people…

The humanoid guffawed as soon as the Teardrop landed in his claw. Cecilia gasped as she ran back to the others, as they held up their weapons in case he turned onto them.

“Finally!” he cried. “It always feels great to finish a job. And I will keep my word. I will let you live… for now, at least.” A metal skeleton ran up to him, and he dropped the Teardrop in its bony hand. “We are withdrawing as soon as the gate is open. Do _not_ forget the Teardrop.”

The skeleton ran off. The humanoid turned away.

“WAIT!”

Everyone turned. All eyes fell on Jack, who clenched his teeth as he stepped forward.

“I’m not through with you yet!” he cried.

The humanoid frowned. “What? Who is this?”

“I’m not from this town.”

“Then you are not part of that agreement.”

“You’re the legendary invaders, right? Demons?”

Cecilia gasped, and Rudy’s eyes widened. Was this really a demon? A metal creature of legend… part of an invading alien race from a thousand years ago?

The humanoid guffawed once more. “Of course we are demons! Why? What difference does it make to you?”

Jack fell into a battle stance, sheathed katana raised. “ _Revenge_! I’ve waited a long time to see this day!”

The jaws curled into a grin. “It pleases me to see such spirit in a human. Very well. Come, try to take your revenge!”

Jack sped forward with a cry, sheath shining brightly from within the blur. His eyes focused on the demon before him, golden eyes blazing at the thought of revenge… then widened as something else rushed towards him. Something huge. He leapt to the side just as that something crashed onto the floor, spreading cracks across the grey bricks.

A spiked metal ball. Easily larger than Jack himself, attached to a long chain in the demon’s claw.

The humanoid pulled the chain back with ease and bounced the spiked ball on one hand. “Worry not, I will go easy on you… I do not want to finish this too quickly. Just try to keep up with me. I will teach you how to dance.” He laughed. “Hah! Yes, DANCE!”

Beside Jack, Cecilia and Rudy joined him, their weapons raised. Hanpan took this opportunity to hop out of the pocket, scurrying to safety.

The princess shook her head. “I hope you know what you’re doing…”

Rudy’s eyes narrowed.

Jack gave another cry as he drew his katana into a diagonal slash. A burst of light as the Speed Fang arc sliced into the demon’s armour, but from within the light the demon charged, jaws open, the spiked ball raised above his head. He smashed the metal ball down, tearing the ground, barely missing the trio as they scattered.

Rudy fired, the roar of the ARM tearing across the battlefield. The shot exploded in a burst of blue right at the demon’s face… but the latter merely lowered his smoking armguard where the shot hit. All that showed was a blackened spot.

He growled. “I remember this power… I could not forget it, even after a thousand years! It is exciting to know that we have the same strength.” He roared. “Show me what you can do with that ARM!!”

Rudy gritted his teeth as he ran and fired more shots. _Bang-bang-bang_ , reload. _Bang-bang-bang_ , reload. He leapt back just as the spiked ball crashed on the ground in front of him, then sped down the other way, firing and firing.

“Lightning!” Cecilia cried, the Crest shining brightly on her back. A magic circle formed in front of her shining staff and fired a burst of lightning bolts. Berserk roared as electricity surged, as sparks circled him.

Jack rained slashes upon him. Scratches formed on the breastplate armour, on the lizard-like jaw. The instant the lightning faded, the demon growled and smashed his arm into the swordsman, knocking him back into a tree.

“Jack!” Cecilia cried. Her Crest shone once more, then her eyes widened at the spiked ball rushing towards her. She screamed as she shielded her head–

Rapid footsteps. Rudy skidded to a stop in front of her and the metal ball smashed right onto the ARM. He skidded backwards at the force, then gave a yell as he shifted his weight to the right and knocked the spiked ball onto the ground.

Berserk guffawed as he yanked the chain. “I have not seen one who could block my strike in a long time! Let us see you try THIS!” With a roar, he tossed the ball once again.

Rudy shot a glance over a shoulder – Cecilia’s eyes widened – and raised his ARM once more.

_Crash._

The force overwhelmed him, sending him flying back. He crashed into a cracked wall, and the stone crumbled onto him.

“Rudy!” Cecilia started towards him. He groaned as he pulled himself out of the rubble, and as she sent a healing spell at him, he got back to his feet. On the other end, Jack pulled himself back up as well, tossing the empty bottle of a healing potion away.

The battle raged on. Thunderous roars rang across the city, slashes flashed in bursts of light, lightning bolts struck mercilessly, again and again… but no matter what the trio did, it wasn’t enough. All the demon did was to flick away their attacks as though swatting a fly, the jaw curling into a wide grin.

Gasping for breath, shoulders heaving, finally their trembling legs gave way and forced them to their knees.

Berserk bounced the spiked ball on his hand. “I was hoping to keep myself busy until our departure… but you humans are just _too weak_! Have you lost all your aggressiveness? Have you lost your will to fight? You are just no match for me!”

Jack gave another yell as he forced himself forward. But a mere smack of the demon’s arm sent him flying to the side, rolling to a stop on the cracked stone street.

The demon chuckled. “Too bad, humans, you are not even worth my fists. And it is a shame for me to not have any time to play with you humans. I care not if it is for revenge, at least promise you will at least entertain me more next time!” And he laughed, a deep booming laugh that mocked them.

Rudy shut his eyes tightly. Cecilia lowered her head. And all Jack could do was glower, golden eyes blazing.

“I think it is time for me to present you with a gift…” The jaws curled into a grin. “Farewell, humans.”

He disappeared in a sphere of dark purple light, which then disappeared as well. All the metal skeletons curled, then flew up towards the crimson split in the sky like a reverse rain of boulders.

_Flash._

A sword of light shot down from the crack in the sky and a burst of wind exploded across Adlehyde. The exhibition hall tore apart like paper, the rocks circling in the air like a tornado. And, from within the torn building, the three Golems emerged.

Jack gasped, eyes wide. “No! Even the Golems!”

The Golems rose, higher and higher, until they disappeared into the crimson split in the sky.

As thunder growled, as lightning flashed, the split in the sky disappeared and left behind a seamless gold sunset sky as though it was never there. As though it had all been a dream…

As the flames continued to rage, as the smoke darkened the air… Jack threw his head up and screamed.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The golden rays of the sun shone in through the glass windows, warm, inviting… but, in the royal bedchamber, that warmth could not be felt in Cecilia’s heart. Her father’s face was deathly pale in the sunlight, the cold sweat glistening. She stepped forward slowly, hesitantly, and knelt beside his bed.

“Father…” She lowered her head. “I beg your forgiveness, Father… against your wishes, I have given the Teardrop to the demons…”

The king placed a gentle hand on her head. “What’s done is done… I cannot blame you for it. You did what you thought was best…”

“Father…”

“But the problem still lies before us… the demons will misuse the Teardrop, and we must stop them before–” A coughing fit overtook him.

Tears welled up in her eyes. “Please, do no more, Father, it will only hurt me more… I will take full responsibility and recover the Teardrop. So please, just rest for now…”

“No, Princess!” the minister cried. “You are not to leave the castle! Our knights will recover the Teardrop!”

She rose to her feet. “I have already decided. I will go myself. We need the knights and the national treasury to rebuild Adlehyde; it would not be efficient to use the knights to retrieve the Teardrop.” She closed her eyes. “That is why I am going… it is my duty as a noble.”

“Princess…”

“Don’t worry… I will not be alone. I have a strong team with me. With their help, I’m sure I can recover the Teardrop safety.”

With that, Cecilia turned around to face Rudy, Jack and Hanpan. She approached them, hands clasped together.

“Rudy… Jack… and Hanpan…” She lowered her head. “Please lend me your aid. To prevent the demons from misusing the Teardrop… this is for all of Filgaia.”

The three exchanged glances. A moment of silence. Then Rudy nodded, and Jack stepped forward as the Wind Mouse hopped from his shoulder to Rudy’s.

“You got it, Princess,” the treasure hunter said.

Cecilia’s heart rose. “You will help, then?”

“I feel like I should be the one asking for help. I’m after the demons as much as you are. But…” A frown. “I don’t think you should come, Princess. This isn’t a walk in the park.”

She gasped. “But–”

“I wouldn’t have teamed up with you if I knew you were the princess.” He growled. “ _I don’t trust nobles!_ I never have and _never_ will! I grew suspicious from the way people treat you at the castle, and you never seem to want to reveal your true identity…” He swung an arm. “This may all be fun and games to you, but for me it’s deadly serious! Take your games somewhere else!”

“Enough!” the minister shouted. “Hold your tongue, wanderer!”

The princess held up a hand. “No, it’s fine.” She closed her eyes. “Jack… I apologise for concealing my identity. I was afraid of creating any unwanted tension once I revealed my true self. Because it’s always been that way… however, please know that my willingness to protect Filgaia is sincere. What can I do to convince you?”

Silence.

“Oh, Cecilia…” the king moaned, cold sweat dripping down his face. “Our Filgaia…”

Cecilia gazed at the deathly pale face of her father, then faced the swordsman once more and held out a hand. “Your sword.”

“What?” Jack said.

“Please lend me your sword.”

He frowned. “I don’t know what you’re playing at, but my sword is _not_ a toy. I will not.”

“ _Lend me your sword right now!_ ”

He heaved a sigh as he held up his sheathed katana and placed it in her hand. As she took it, she stumbled under its weight, then righted herself as she held it up with both hands.

He shook his head. “It’s heavier than it looks… this sword is as heavy as its fate.”

She gazed at it.

“Give me back the sword. It’s obviously too heavy for you… you can’t possibly carry it.”

Her eyes narrowed with determination, she drew the katana.

Everyone gasped. Rudy reached out with a hand.

_Slice._

Strands of golden hair floated to the floor, glowing in the sunlight. She sheathed the katana once more and handed it back to Jack with both hands, her hair now barely above her shoulders.

“I thank you for all you have done for me with your sword. Here is a request from Princess Cecilia Lynne Adlehyde to you, a true knight… lend me your power, in the form of this sword, for Filgaia.”

“Princess…” Jack shook his head as he took the katana. “You’re truly determined. There’s no turning back…”

She nodded slowly, determinedly.

“Cecilia…” The king coughed, his eyes hazy. “Be strong, Cecilia… and embrace them with love…” He gave a small smile, a final, gentle smile… and his eyes closed.

Cecilia gasped, eyes wide.

A flurry of movement as everyone rushed to the bed. A soldier ran out, the doctor came running in. But, a moment later, he rose to his feet… and shook his head.

Gasps.

Cecilia sank to her knees, her eyes closed. “Father… oh, Father…”

-o-o-o-o-o-

The bells tolled softly, rhythmically. The sun shone gently down onto the castle town of Adlehyde, the sky a soft blue… the colour of quiet sadness.

The soldiers gathered, slowly, silently. Two rows, two blue banners in front, the crest of Adlehyde seemingly crying.

The princess stepped forward, her dress entirely black, the veil shielding her emotions from view. The minister glanced at her and she nodded.

Then, from the great entrance hall of the castle, the journey began.

Two rows of soldiers marched, one step, another step. Two blue banners waved, as blue as the sea. The princess strode, hands clasped, eyes lowered. The minister, head raised, expression grim. Six soldiers, the weight of the blue casket on their shoulders, then two more banners, as blue as the sadness in their hearts.

A gentle wind blew.

Through the castle gates, down the stairs. The people watched with tearful eyes, with sobs. Some wailed, crying the name of the late king. Then civilians joined the procession, a row of wooden caskets between them.

The bells tolled against their will in the wind.

A little girl ran through the crowd and gasped as she bumped into someone. The ball escaped from her hands, as red as the pain in the people’s hearts, slowing to a stop at the feet of an azure-haired adolescent boy. He knelt, handing it to her, and she gave a shy smile before running away. A moment passed. The smile faded from the boy’s face as he straightened, as he gazed at the procession, the wind pulling at the white cloth around his ARM… as he clenched his fists.

The princess closed her eyes. The wind tugged at her veil, carrying the glimmering tears away from the eyes of the people.

A young man watched from the shadows, arms crossed as he leant against the wall. The Wind Mouse sat on his shoulder, head lowered, eyes closed. As the procession passed by, as a few people nearby started sobbing, a rush of wind pulled at his trench coat. A frown on his face, then he turned and started walking, golden hair tied with green ribbon gleaming in the sun… away from the procession.

They marched on. Past the broken statue of the castle town’s Guardian.

A grand round hall, golden from the light of the torches. The tall statue of a full armour stood upon the pedestal, gazing at them with kind eyes. Two statues of horses stood with heads lowered as though to pay their respect, the purple stained glass windows glistening as though with tears.

The princess stopped, trembling hands clasped.

The blue casket stood in the centre of the hall, strangely distant, strangely alone. The soldiers bowed and stepped back, their helmets shielding their faces, their emotions.

The wooden caskets surrounded the blue casket, like gathering travellers before a long journey. The people bowed and stepped back, face streaked with tears.

A moment of stillness. A moment of silence.

The minister turned and left through the doors of the hall. The soldiers followed, and then the people.

And, as the doors slowly swung to a close… Cecilia sank to her knees and cried at her father’s casket.

**End of Chapter Five: From Anxiety to Impatience.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was playing WAACF up to the ancient culture exhibition when I suddenly remembered… you can’t play mini-games in WAACF! NONE! So sad. Well, in a way it did make sense, since in WAACF it’s the Ancient Culture Exhibition while in WA it’s the Ruin Festival, but I still wanted to play those mini-games… so, to compromise, I combined the two – an exhibition inside the building AND a festival outside! xD


	8. Six: Ancient Shrine

**Wild Arms: To the End of the Wilderness**  
**Chapter Six: Ancient Shrine**  
Written by Estrelita Farr

Days passed, yet the air in Adlehyde Castle Town remained still, heavy. A mere few thousand people remained, wandering the streets as though they had lost their direction, feet dragging, shoulders hunched. Cracks tore across the streets of grey bricks, across the stone walls. The houses a mere blackened rubble, covered in ashes. Even the statue of the Castle Guardian Zeldukes lay in shambles, a sight that filled people with despair – the Guardian had protected the castle for the past thousand years, but with him gone, how would they last another few days, never mind another thousand years…?

But slowly, surely, the town worked towards its former glory. Some of the people began rebuilding their homes, lugging stone and wood. Some helped the doctors to care for the injured, others helped the castle kitchen to distribute food among the survivors.

Even Rudy helped, carrying bricks and lumber with his slender arms. Once in a while he stopped by the destroyed ARMs store, wondering if Emma was still alive… and one day he heard it. Faint, distant, the quiet tinkering of hammer from within. A small smile formed on his face as he resumed his task at hand – it was enough to know she was alive.

Jack sighed as he leant against a tree, arms crossed, a deep frown on his face. Such destruction… this was not the first time he had seen it. And, just like _that time_ , he had been utterly powerless against the demons… as though it didn’t matter if he was there. He clenched his fists.

The demons would pay.

Days passed, turning into a week… then, the day the four of them would finally set out in pursuit of the demons arrived. Rudy, Jack and Hanpan sat in the shade of a tree, munching on a simple breakfast of bread and cheese.

The swordsman shook his head. “The four of us randomly got together, searching for Lolithia’s Coffin, and now we’re chasing after demons… I don’t want to sound philosophical, but I feel this is fate.” He cast a sideways glance. “Anyway, Rudy, there doesn’t seem to be much in it for you. Are you okay with all this?”

Rudy nodded.

Hanpan shrugged. “Profitable or not, you sure are a strange fella.”

A sheepish smile.

Jack sighed. “Anyway, I’m a little concerned about the princess… she’s been so busy with the funeral and planning the restoration. It distracts her from her pangs of loss… but…” He rubbed his head. “Eh, maybe I talk too much.”

When breakfast was over, they stood waiting, constantly glancing in the direction of the castle. A moment passed. Another moment passed. And still they waited.

Jack tapped his foot. “The princess is late…”

“Maybe we should look for her,” Hanpan suggested.

They set off, though one didn’t need to guess where she would be. They headed straight for the mausoleum in the centre area of the castle town, the grand round hall where the royal families’ tombs and people’s cinerary urns were housed. As they strode across the polished yellow tiles, they found someone kneeling on the floor, head lowered, hands clasped in prayer. But this person wasn’t in a dress as they had expected the princess to wear… was she not here after all?

Then, the person stood up and turned around to face them.

They stared.

“What the?!” Jack exclaimed.

It was Cecilia after all. Her hair now a short golden bob, with a red hair band across the crown of her head. Instead of a frock, she had on a long-sleeved blue top, a pair of striped leggings and a pair of boots, the magic staff strapped to her back. She blushed as she pushed a strand of hair behind an ear.

“I fixed my hair up a bit… and I changed into comfortable clothes… do they look okay?”

The trio continued to stare at her, then Hanpan said, “Ah, yes… I think it suits you just fine.”

Rudy’s eyes narrowed in concern.

She smiled. “I’m fine now. Crying won’t change anything or start anything anew. A rainbow always follows a storm… it’s true.” She turned, gazing at the statue of the armoured king on the pedestal. “My mother used to console me when I cried. She used to tell me, ‘nothing is impossible’, then she would say a prayer to me. She taught me to believe in myself and to believe in tomorrow.” She faced them once more. “I’m going to be strong. Even stronger than strong… but I will need your help.”

The boy nodded with a smile. Hanpan nodded as well.

“Princess–” Jack began.

Cecilia shook her head. “Please, Jack, just call me Cecilia. Until I recover the Teardrop, I will no longer be a princess, but a wanderer like you.”

He chuckled. “Fair enough.” He cleared his throat and extended a hand. “Cecilia, we’re here to ask you to be part of our team.”

She gasped. “So I’m part of the team?!”

“Yes, of course. But we’re late, so let’s go.”

A grin spread across her face. “Yes!”

With that, the other three stepped out of the shrine. The princess followed, but stopped a few steps away. She turned, gazing at the statue of a king, sword drawn as though to protect the place, the two horse statues at its side as though to protect it. She closed her eyes and clasped her hands together.

“Dear Mother, dear Father…” she whispered. “When I come back here, I promise to be much stronger. Please say a prayer for our safe journey and a safe return…”

Sunlight streamed in through the windows, the purple stained glass glistening. Warm, gentle. As though her mother and father were there with her, smiling down at her.

She smiled. She turned towards the open double doors and stepped into the morning sun… the calm after a storm.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Through the city gates they went, into the wilderness they ventured. Cecilia gave a quick explanation to the others – the women of the royal Adlehyde family were all born shamans with the power to communicate and draw power from the Guardians of Filgaia. And now, as the demons of legend returned to wage another war, she would have to follow in her ancestors’ footsteps and unite the Guardians, and the place to do that would be the Guardian Temple past the eastern mountains.

They continued across the partially green lands, boots crunching on the ground. Monsters roamed the area, growling and charging at them as they neared, but the roar of the ARM, the flash of Fast Draw and the burst of magic made short work of them. The group walked until afternoon, when they stopped for a quick lunch of more bread and cheese.

At first the meal was a silent affair, their gaze cast elsewhere as they ate. Then Jack suddenly called, “Hey, Rudy.”

The boy jumped.

“Lend me your ARM for a bit, will you?”

He blinked, but obliged.

Jack held the ARM up, gazing at the smooth, gleaming metal of the barrel. “So this is an ARM, huh? This is the first time I’m seeing it up close. What was it again – Amazing Random Manifestation?”

“Advanced Relic Machine,” Hanpan corrected.

“Ah, right.” He aimed the ARM at a nearby rock.

The others quickly raised their hands to their ears… but no roar. All they heard was the futile clicks of the trigger.

“Huh? The heck?” Jack frowned. “Isn’t this how you use it?” _Click, click_.

The Wind Mouse sighed. “Jack, did you already forget? Not everyone can fire an ARM, you know.”

“Why not? The bearer needs willpower to fire an ARM, right? I’m pretty sure I have enough willpower!”

“Yes, yes, I’ve no doubt. But you forget… you need to treat that ARM like an extension of yourself, not just some dumb machine.”

A pause. Another aim, another futile click. He rubbed his head. “Eh, I thought I got it… guess not.”

He shrugged. “Maybe you should just stick to Fast Draw. Like I said, not everyone can fire an ARM… especially not one this large.” He glanced at the boy. “In fact, you’re the first I’ve seen who can handle one this large and complex.”

Rudy lowered his gaze, shoulders tense.

Silence.

Cecilia gazed at the ARM, then at its owner. “Rudy, may I?”

A short nod.

Jack handed the ARM to her. As soon as she took it into her hands, she gasped. “Oh!” Then she relaxed, running a hand along the smooth metal. “It’s warm… I thought it would be cold. It’s like a living, breathing thing…”

Silence.

She shook her head. “They say ARMs are the forbidden weapon, the weapon that ruined the world a thousand years ago. It’s a common sight to see wanderers with ARMs now, though many still think they’re cursed… but I don’t believe that.”

Jack threw up his arms. “Ah, who cares what other people say! What matters is that it gives us an edge in battle, we’re going to need all the power we need to fight the demons. Besides…” He grinned. “You suck with a sword, so you might as well just stick with the ARM, eh?”

Rudy reddened.

Cecilia’s eyes shone. “Hey, I just had a _great_ idea! Why don’t you train him, Jack?”

“Train?” the swordsman echoed. “Like, teach him how to use a sword?”

“Yes!”

Everyone stared at her.

Hanpan held his chin with a paw. “You know… that doesn’t sound too bad. He’ll definitely need a backup plan if he runs out of bullets.”

The princess clapped. “Then it’s settled!”

Jack burst into laughter. “Well, this ought to be fun! You’d better be prepared, Rudy!”

Rudy blinked, then nodded.

And so, when they continued on their journey, the lecture started.

“Lesson number one: footwork!” Jack declared. “Footwork is the basics of all sword techniques! If you don’t have good control over your feet, your sword’s useless!”

The boy nodded, eyes focused.

“From what I saw your footwork isn’t bad – at least you can run – but you don’t change directions properly. Go on, show me how you change directions when you run.”

A pause, then he gave another nod. He jogged a short distance forward, then skidded before kicking off in another direction.

Jack slapped his head. “That’s what I’m talking about. Princess, you try it.”

She blinked, but obliged… with the same skidding turn.

Another head slap. “You two… here, watch me.”

Jack sped forward, leaning to the front as though ready to crash right into the boy. The latter’s eyes widened and drew back, arms raised to shield his head… but instead of crashing into him, Jack’s path slanted to the right without any loss in speed.

“Did you catch that?” he asked. “No? I’ll do it again, so watch me properly this time.”

He sped forward once more. He leant to the left as though to fall, then his feet caught up with rapid steps to the left. Without slowing down.

Rudy stared, wide eyed.

He grinned. “Got it now? Go on, try it.”

The boy nodded, eyes narrowed. He started running, rapid steps crunching on the ground. He learnt to the left, readied his feet…

…and fell flat on his face.

Cecilia gasped and hurried over to him. “Rudy! Are you all right?”

The treasure hunter slapped his forehead with a groan – it seemed this would be a long day.

Hanpan snickered. Jack threw a glare at him, then swatted him away with a hand.

-o-o-o-o-o-

They continued across the plains, and by the second sunset they arrived at a cave leading through the eastern mountains. They camped outside for the night, then entered the cave, with Jack holding up a burning torch and Cecilia’s orb of light floating above them.

The tunnel was long, winding, and as with the plains, monsters attacked every so often. Cecilia defeated all the monsters but one with a burst of Crest sorcery, and Jack barked commands as Rudy scrambled to obey, armed with only his sword against that last monster. Sometimes they switched – with Rudy clearing all but one monster with his ARM and Cecilia practiced Crest sorcery while dodging its attacks.

They advanced slowly, carefully.

A few hours later they finally reached the other end, the exit blindingly bright. Outside, another partially green land greeted them and a few more hours south, they reached Milama.

Milama, the city of water built on raised stone platforms, with long bridges crossing over the wide canals that snaked through the city. As they strode along the streets, side-stepping once to avoid an approaching horse carriage, Rudy and Cecilia stopped to watch as a boat rowed along the canal, as a paddling of ducks and ducklings floated merrily along.

“That’s an interesting idea,” Cecilia commented, “Having canals as a mode of transportation. Maybe I should present this idea for Adlehyde’s restoration plan.”

The boy nodded with a smile.

Hanpan’s long ears perked up. “Hey, do you hear that?”

Jack shrugged. “Yeah, I hear all the water, why?”

“No, not that! I think a kid’s crying…”

They looked around, but all they saw were people going about their day and laughing children running around. Then, Rudy pointed.

There, at the edge of the street, a small girl sobbed. She raised her tear-streaked face at them as they approached, as Rudy and Cecilia knelt in front of her.

“My turtle…” she sobbed. “I dropped my turtle in the water, and now he’s gone!”

They glanced at each other, then at the canal. But aside from boats and ducks, there was nothing else.

“The bar owner’s father made it for me,” she continued to sob. “What should I do?”

Cecilia smiled. “Don’t worry, we’ll find your turtle for you. Jack, Hanpan, please stay with her. I’ll go look for the turtle with Rudy.”

Jack groaned. “What am I supposed to do? Sing and dance?”

“Well… you could let her play with Hanpan.”

A sharp squeak came from the Wind Mouse. “W-what?! I’m not a stuffed toy!”

She clasped her hands together. “Pretty please?”

He sighed. “Oh, all right…”

As they left a disgruntled Jack and Hanpan behind with the girl, Rudy and Cecilia went searching for the turtle. The sorceress asked around as the other ran along the streets with eyes scanning the canal, but the turtle was nowhere to be seen. Eventually they found it stuck in the metal grate at the side of the canal, and after Rudy carefully climbed down to retrieve it, they returned to Jack and Hanpan.

The girl’s eyes shone. “You found my turtle! Thank you!” She smiled as she cuddled the stuffed toy turtle to her chest, dripping wet though it was. “I’m so happy. I’m never lonely as long as I have this, even when my father’s away. The bar owner’s father made this for me. He used to be the priest at the Guardian Temple, and he said this turtle is filled with the power of the Water Guardian. It’s my treasure.”

“Wait a minute,” Jack said. “Kid, did you just say the bar owner’s father was the priest at the Guardian Temple?”

She nodded. “Uh-huh. He works over there.”

At the edge of the city, over the canal was a wooden platform where a small building stood. As the group bid farewell to the girl, who waved happily at them, they stepped inside. Tables and chairs were arranged in groups, bottles of liquor glimmered on the shelves, and a long polished white bar sat at the back. The rotund man at the counter wiped the white surface quickly, hastily.

“One thing after another!” he muttered to himself. “I’m so busy today…” As the group approached, he looked up. “Oh, hello. Can I help you?”

“We came to ask about the Guardian Temple,” Cecilia explained.

He straightened. “The Guardian Temple? I haven’t heard that in a while… well, I can tell you everything I do know. A long time ago my father was the priest in that temple, and he used to tell me all kinds of stories. I guess it’s odd, since I ended up a bar owner.” He placed the cloth on the bar. “I have to take care of something first, do you mind waiting a little bit?”

Jack shook his head. “Not at all. We’ll just order something while we wait.”

“Good idea. Tell you what, this meal is on the house. It’s been a while since I’ve talked about my father or the temple.”

Hanpan gave a cheeky grin as the group pored over the menu. “All right, what’s the most expensive dish here? Just kidding. What should we get?”

Cecilia looked up. “We’ll have six orders of large chow mein with extra vegetables, is that okay?”

The other three stumbled.

The bar owner rubbed his head. “Well, certainly, miss… but don’t you think six large orders are a little much for your group?”

Cecilia smiled. “I think we can finish it.”

“As long as you do… six orders of large chow mein coming right up!” He grinned. “I think I’ll have to charge you next time, though.”

The three stared at the sorceress. Six plates of large chow mein? And extra vegetables? Even Jack could probably only finish one plate on his own… could they really finish it all?

-o-o-o-o-o-

“The enemy outnumbered us almost two to one!” Hanpan shouted with a hop. “However, our troops successfully engaged in blitz tactics and we attacked!”

Jack swung an arm. “One by one our men had to stop, but there were still so many of them! If it wasn’t for one soldier who continued her efforts…” He slammed the table. “Her firepower, speed and war tactics were just too much for our enemies! And she finished the last of them with a vengeance!”

“All of the enemies who fell to her violence met at a cruel and merciless end. Her ferocity towards the enemies even drew shivers down the spines of her own allies…”

Jack grinned across the table, now groaning under empty plates larger than their faces. “How’d you like our real time war report of the Great Chow Mein Uprising? That was a crazy battle!”

The Wind Mouse stopped. “Wait, we forgot the reserve armies, the fresh young carrots and broccoli cadets. Poor guys never had a chance.”

Rudy stifled a laugh, then jumped when Cecilia banged the table.

“Okay, you two!” she cried. “That’s enough! Everyone in Curan Abbey eats just as much, I’m sure some of them eat even more than I do!”

Jack rubbed his head. “But really, _four and a half_ plates of large chow mein? That’s gotta be the world record! Or maybe I should worry about Rudy instead… he didn’t even eat half a plate.”

The boy flushed.

Cecilia banged the table again. “Well, being a shaman and using Crest spells take a lot out of me, and I get hungry!”

Silence.

Her shoulders relaxed. “And… I love chow mein. It not only tastes great, but it looks so delicious, too. I really enjoyed mealtimes at the Abbey. The other girls and I would just chat and eat. It was so different there…” She closed her eyes. “At the castle, everyone just regarded me as royalty. Not as a real person. I was ‘the princess’, and they were my entourage. Dinners were the worst. It was all about the fine china and etiquette, and being proper and dainty… and it was lonely.”

Rudy’s eyes softened.

She shook her head. “The people of Adlehyde love ‘Cecilia the princess’, but no one knows anything beyond that. What kind of food I like, what books I like… and now, more than ever, I need to be ‘the princess’ and recover the Teardrop. Sometimes I miss my days at the Abbey…”

More silence.

The bar owner approached the table. “Okay, I have some free time now. Are you ready to hear about the temple?” He stopped. “Oh, I’m sorry, were you guys in the middle of something?”

Jack shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. We’d like to hear about the Guardian Temple.”

He smiled. “Sure thing. First, the Guardian Temple is north of Milama, right by the lake past the woods. Let me see… what else?” A pause. “Okay, you probably don’t know this part, since it’s not really part of the legend. My father told me about a prayer room which only priests are allowed to enter. He used to talk about that room a lot. Maybe he wanted me to follow in his footsteps… anyway, here’s the juicy part – you’ll want to listen up.”

The others leant closer.

“At three thirty, the door to that prayer room opens. I’m pretty sure that’s what he used to say. Is this what you guys wanted to know?”

The swordsman nodded with a grin. “That’s exactly what we were looking for.”

He grinned as well. “That’s great! I’m glad I can be of some help to you. Why don’t you stay here tonight? Don’t worry, I won’t charge you for it.”

Of course they accepted the offer.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Even before the dark sky showed any signs of dawn, the bar owner woke them all up (“You’ll want to get up nice and early,” he said, “My father used to leave early enough to make it to the temple by three thirty in the afternoon.”) and even had a hot breakfast of ham and eggs ready for them when they arrived downstairs. The smell made their mouths water as they sat at the table, and the strong bitter coffee slapped them wide awake. Then, just as a faint glimmer of light lined the horizon, they ventured into the wilderness once more.

The journey took them much longer than they thought – it was at least six hours by the time they reached their destination, the afternoon sun rays burning on their backs. The Guardian Temple was a tall, magnificent building of yellow stone, sitting atop a hill surrounded by water and mountains. The tall pillars carved with detailed patterns of waves, the floor filled with carvings of the sun, stars and Filgaia’s two moons. The flames on the chandeliers blazed to life the moment the wanderers approached, perhaps with magic.

Magic. The very air tingled with magic. The wanderers could feel it running down their backs and arms, like curious creatures greeting visitors. If even their temple had this much magic, the Guardians had to be really powerful creatures indeed.

Thick silence hung in the air, easily sliced with the mere sound of breathing. Everything was completely still, nothing moved except the four of them as they wandered through the hallways – no monsters, no critters… nothing. It was as though time in this place had been sealed ever since its last priest had passed away.

They soon arrived at a large hall, their gazes focused on a gigantic stone clock several stories high, its gleaming black hands longer than Jack’s height of nearly six feet. Two statues of winged maidens in armour stood in the alcoves at either side, eyes closed, hands on the hilts of their swords.

But the hands of the clock did not move. It remained stuck at twelve, as though time had stopped.

Cecilia glanced at the pocket watch she had. “It’s three in the afternoon now. Are we supposed to wait until three thirty?”

Hanpan nodded from her shoulder. “That’s what the bar owner said.”

The treasure hunter heaved a sigh. “Waiting, huh? I hate waiting…”

And so, gazing at the clock, they sat waiting. Cecilia tried to fill the awkward silence with a conversation.

“I’ve heard a Wind Mouse can live up to hundreds – no, _thousands_ of years.” She smiled. “How old are you, Hanpan?”

Hanpan scowled. “Really, I can’t be telling you that! You don’t ask a girl how old she is, do you?”

She blinked. “I’m seventeen.”

Jack burst into laughter and Rudy broke into a grin.

The Wind Mouse slapped his head. “Never mind… let’s just say I’m way older than the three of you put together.”

Cecilia’s eyes widened. “Wow, so you must have seen a lot of the world.”

“Of course! I’ve been to so many places, some you won’t even believe exists! Why, there was once I–”

Jack shrugged. “Believe me, you don’t want to give him any chance to talk about himself. He’ll go on… and on… _and on_ …”

He gave a huff. “I won’t say a word more, then.”

More silence.

Jack gave a frustrated sigh and called out to Rudy. As they began sparring, Cecilia pulled out a little book on Crest sorcery, while Hanpan examined the detailed patterns on the stone clock.

More waiting. And waiting. Yet nothing happened.

Eventually Jack tapped his foot with a frown and cried, “Hey, Cecilia! Is it three thirty yet?”

The sorceress glanced at the pocket watch and shook her head. “Um… actually it’s already nearly four.”

“ _What_?! Then what are we still waiting for?”

“Maybe… we’re not supposed to wait?” Hanpan suggested.

He sighed. “Great. Just… great.”

Cecilia shook her head. “But the bar owner seems quite sure about the three thirty part. Maybe we’re supposed to try and move the hands of that clock?”

With no other leads, they decided to try that.

On the other wall was a collection of gears linked to a machine, and with Hanpan’s guidance, they used it to move the hands of the clock. Once the hands pointed to three thirty, the gears above spun and the ground rumbled. A rectangular part of the wall below the clock opened, revealing a hidden passageway.

The hall was long, the flames on the tall candelabras blazing to life as they strode past, lighting the large pictures carved on the stone walls – of demonic monsters descending from the sky, of the humans, Elw and the Guardians rising against them, of flames that covered the entire Filgaia… the Great Demon War a thousand years ago.

More and more candelabras blazed, bringing the wanderers’ attention to the four statues at the end. A grand long-necked turtle with a spiked shell, Water Guardian Schturdark whom the others had seen Cecilia summon during the Adlehyde demon attack. A mountainous reptile, with large spikes running down its back. A great roaring tiger, bat-like wings spread wide. A phoenix – or a dragon? – with four wings like fire. They all faced a single tall sceptre, its crystalline head glowing with a quiet turquoise colour.

As Cecilia closed her eyes, the words of Water Guardian Schturdark resonated in her heart and she relayed them to the others.

_“Those who wish for the Guardians’ power… to receive it, you must challenge our test.”_

Jack shrugged. “Now it’s test time? That’s rather old-fashioned. Well, bring it on!”

_“The Earth Guardian Grudiev. His body strong and solid, he deflects blades and magic. Who will challenge Grudiev’s trial?”_

“If this Guardian can deflect blades and magic,” Hanpan said, “Then it only makes sense to send Rudy in with his ARM.”

Rudy nodded, eyes narrowed with determination.

_“The Wind Guardian Fengalon,”_ the Water Guardian continued. _“Running claws sharp and fast, a strong wind no one can catch. Who will challenge Fengalon’s trial?”_

Jack grinned. “A Guardian that’s as fast as wind, huh? Sounds like it’s for me!”

_“The Fire Guardian, Moor Gault. With wings of terrible fire, a roaring blaze that cannot be stopped. Who will challenge Moor Gault’s trial?”_

Cecilia’s hand tightened around her staff. “A roaring blaze… I will try and tame it with my water Crest magic.”

Schturdark growled. _“This is the point of no return… are you prepared, Shaman Cecilia and her warriors?”_

All of them nodded.

A burst of light. They gasped, blinded, shielding their eyes.

When it dimmed, the only one left by the sceptre in the hall was Hanpan.

**End of Chapter Six: Ancient Shrine.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, the Great Chow Mein Uprising! Jack and Hanpan are really such jokers, they crack me up every time. xD
> 
> Would you believe me if I said these characters thought up the idea of sword training on their own? Really, they’re coming to life and doing things on their own!


	9. Seven: The Power Which Supports the World

**Wild Arms: To the End of the Wilderness**  
**Chapter Seven: The Power Which Supports the World**  
Written by Estrelita Farr

When Rudy blinked his eyes open, he found himself standing alone in the hall, accompanied only by the sceptre that now glowed a strong blue. However, he soon realised that three of the four statues had disappeared, leaving only the mountainous reptile. Stoic, silent, its stony gaze blaze in the light of the candelabra.

He shivered. He felt strangely alone… strangely vulnerable.

_“Small one,”_ a slow, deep voice resonated in his heart, making him jump. _“You wish for the Guardians’ power, a power too great for human hands… a dangerous power. If you truly are capable of handling it, show me.”_ A growl. _“Show me that you can pierce through my hide that neither blade nor magic can.”_

_Flash._

Rudy shielded his face from the brilliant blue light. When he regained his sight, a mountain of turquoise crystal spikes broke through the floor before shattering into pieces to make way for their master. His eyes widened as his gaze slowly moved upwards.

A gigantic reptile, the sheer size making him feel as though he was facing the very mountains themselves. Standing upright on its thick, muscular hind legs, the triple claws on each foot large and sharp, the smaller front claws spread as though waiting to grasp their target. Its long neck arched as it growled, revealing rows of white fangs, crimson eyes focused at the boy below. Polished deep blue scales plated its body like armour, the same turquoise crystals spreading from its back like a wall of ice, gradually thinning downwards along the crocodile-like tail.

The Earth Guardian Grudiev.

Rudy’s hands tightened around the ARM, the white cloth falling to the side. His heart raced at the thought of facing a Guardian, wondering if he could even dent that plated armour of scales and crystals… but he had to try.

Taking aim, he fired. The shot exploded at the Guardian’s shoulder, but it didn’t even leave a blackened mark on the scales. Grudiev growled, lowering its gaze at the puny human before it, and stomped on the ground.

_Crack._

The carved stone floor split into two as the crack snaked towards Rudy. He leapt to the side just as more crystal spikes stabbed towards him, just barely missing the edge of his travelling cloak.

Running along the sides, he continued to fire, the thunderous cry cutting through the hall. Again and again, reload, again and again. However, each shot did nothing but explode meaninglessly, as the mountainous Guardian gazed down upon him.

But he didn’t give up. If anything, this brought a nostalgic memory.

With a huge still target before him, this felt like the daily ARMs training he had as a child. Continuously firing at a distant tree, accurately hitting the same spot over and over as the hole grew bigger and bigger… until the final shot tore through the trunk. He still remembered the shock and disbelief he felt the first time at the fallen tree, while his grandfather chuckled at his side.

Of course, there was a huge difference between a tree and a Guardian, but the concept was the same.

A still target. Repeated firing at the same spot.

Rudy focused. After reloading more bullets, he took aim once more, this time at one particular scale at Grudiev’s leg. As expected, the first shot did nothing. Neither did the tenth shot, nor the thirty fifth. Occasionally moving to dodge the Guardian’s crystal spikes from the ground, he continued to fire at that one scale.

Eventually, a blackened spot appeared. Then a dent. A scratch. A tear among the many scratches.

And finally, at the ninety sixth shot, Grudiev threw its head up and roared. The roar rang through the hall, loud enough to make even the floors and walls tremble, forcing Rudy to clasped his hands tightly over his ears.

Silence. A moment passed, then the same voice from before spoke once more in Rudy’s heart.

_“Small one, one who wishes for the Guardian’s power… I accept you have the strength to receive the power of Earth in your body.”_

Rudy relaxed. But the Guardian’s next words made him tense once more.

_“But, to control it, you must have the strength of heart as well. Show your heart, small one… show your strength by overcoming my test.”_

_What?_

Grudiev roared once more and slammed his front claws on the floor. A wide crack snaked across the floor as more crystal spikes shot up towards the boy.

Rudy gasped, but there was no time. All he could do was to shield himself with his ARM, eyes tightly shut.

But there was no pain.

When he looked up, he could see nothing around him, nothing except his own gloved hands in front of him, the smooth metal of the ARM in his hand gleaming as though reflecting a hidden source of light.

A soft sob.

A familiar small boy sitting on the floor – Tony, the boy from Surf Village. Rudy ran over and knelt at his side.

“Monsters…” Tony sobbed. “Monsters attacked everyone…”

Rudy’s eyes narrowed. Monsters? But Surf Village was still peaceful when he left–

_Growl._ A rush of movement behind him.

_ROAR._ The thunderous cry of the ARM rang across the abyss.

A ghastly howl, and the shadow of a monster faded away.

His hand trembled, the hand tightly gripping the ARM. He had reacted without thinking, fired without thinking… no, it should be fine. This was Tony after all, the only one in Surf Village who accepted his ability to use an ARM–

“…you…” Tony looked up slowly, tear-streaked face etched with fear. “I’m scared… your power is different from ours… as if… a monster…”

_Monster._

The word stabbed into Rudy’s heart. He backed away slowly, eyes wide.

Another Surf villager appeared behind Tony. “This world needs not your existence… there is no place in this world…”

And another. “You are a stranger in this world, not accepted by anyone… why do you continue fighting…?”

The village chief. “The power of ARM… the power of destruction… the power that monsters possess.”

Yet another villager. “Why do you use your power? Do you think it helps others? The more you use your power, the more people run from you…”

_Stab. Stab._ Rudy sank to his knees. He knew, he knew he should not have used his ARM… but it was the last of his grandfather’s memory… it was the only way he could fight…

And another man appeared among the others, holding a brightly shining lantern up. “Look at yourself! Your appearance… you’re plainly different from all of us!”

Rudy glanced at his hands, but they still looked the same as before, gloved hands holding the ARM. But the villagers continued to stare at him, eyes wide with fear.

Slowly, he turned… and he froze.

_Monster._ The shadow of a monster. Large, menacing, like the one he had just defeated. A growling darkness in the light of the lantern, the crimson eyes glinting with evil… that joined his feet.

_His_ shadow.

“This is _our_ world,” Tony said loudly, firmly. “This is not a place for you, _monster_.”

Monster… he was a monster. _Monster._

The eyes of the villagers burnt into him, hotter than the flames of burning downtown Adlehyde.

No… he could not take it anymore. He could not take the pain anymore.

He turned and ran. Away from the people. Away from their burning stares. Away from the pain. He ran, further and further from the bright light of the lamp.

Further and further into the darkness… the only place where a monster could go.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Jack, too, found himself alone in another hall with the large statue of a roaring winged tiger, the sceptre next to him glowing a calm green. A sharp, growling voice rang in his heart.

_“Small one, you wish for the Guardians’ power, a power too great for human hands… a dangerous power. If you truly are capable of handling it, show me. Show me that you can surpass my speed.”_

He grinned. “I’m ready whenever you are! Bring it on!”

As though in reply, a rush of wind.

A huge white tiger, with two fangs extending down at either sides of its face, with paws larger than his head. Striped fur lined its sleek body, as white as snow, as dark as night. On its back, great bat-like wings folded like two glistening black blades. Eyes a sharp green colour, the ruby on its forehead shone as though with desire for blood.

The Wind Guardian Fengalon.

Then, as a tornado raged in the hall, it disappeared.

Fast. This Guardian was fast to the point Jack couldn’t see anything more than a white blur. Even as he focused his eyes, he could barely make out the outline of the tiger in the wind. Even as he disappeared into a blur of gold and brown himself, he just barely blocked the onslaught of claws with the sheath of his blade.

But the grin didn't leave his face. If anything, this battle of speed made his heart pump with excitement!

He gave a cry as he pursued Fengalon, trying to match its speed. He forced his body to move faster, faster. _Faster._

Eventually his eyes adjusted. The outline of the tiger grew clearer and clearer as time passed.

Then finally, with a triumphant cry, hand on the hilt of his sheathed katana, he leant forward and shot across the hall.

“Speeeed FANG!”

The blue arc of light intercepted Fengalon’s path.

The wind stopped. The Guardian slowed to a stop, tall and majestic, a thin line of red on its leg that was the mark of Jack’s victory.

_“Small one, one who wishes for the Guardian’s power… I accept you have the strength to receive the power of Wind in your body.”_

Jack grinned. “Of course I do.”

_“But, to control it, you must have the strength of heart as well.”_ Fengalon growled. _“Show your heart, small one… show your strength by overcoming my test.”_

Another burst of wind. Jack shielded his face with an arm.

Suddenly, the hall was gone. He found himself in a void of swirling dark purple, like the constantly rippling surface of a purple lake. He glanced around, wondering where he was–

_Slash._

He ducked as something swiped over his head.

Standing before him was a dark purple shadow shaped like him, down to the trench coat and ribbon in the ponytail. Silent and expressionless, it swung its katana at him once more.

He whirled to the right and brought his left hand up… only to find his weapon gone.

_Slash._

He ducked under the blade once more and leapt back, cursing under his breath. His shadow lunged, the katana gleaming.

A spark from above. A flash of red light, then _something_ crashed between him and his shadow.

A dark purple sword, an otherworldly gleam on its smooth surface. The very air around it crackled with magic, a crimson aura swirling like a blazing flame. Jack’s eyes widened as he stared, the magic tingling on his skin.

Could this… could this be…?

His shadow’s katana came slashing down as he leapt to the left. Clenching his teeth, he pulled the dark sword from the ground and swung.

_Flash._

Power. Exploding from inside him. Burning hot power shot through his veins, filling him with a burst of strength, a burst of speed.

The shining blade sliced the shadow cleanly into two. Without even a sound, it faded away into thin air.

“Oh yeah!” Jack shouted. “This is a great workout!”

Even as he straightened, the power continued to throb in his veins, balancing between warm and burning hot. He laughed, raising the dark sword above his head.

Yes, this was it! This was what he had been searching for years – Absolute Power. The power to rise above all existence, the power to slice through anything. As long as he had this power, he would never have to run from anyone. As long as he had this magic sword, he would be able to cut away his disgusting past–

The sword burst into purple flames. Burning pain. A gasp escaped from him as he tossed the blade away, and it exploded in a burst of light that made his heart sink.

The swirling purple void turned into still grey, devoid of colour. Where nothing moved, nothing made a sound.

But Jack felt as though someone was watching him. Body tense, teeth clenched, he whirled around. “Who is it?! Stop hiding and show yourself!”

Silence. A moment later the figure of a man appeared before him, dressed in full armour. A dark shadow cast on his face and front, as though a bright light shone from behind.

Jack froze. “No… it… can’t be…”

The figure shook his head. “You are a man who ran away, a man without courage. A man who hopes for power… a man addicted to power…”

He growled. “I never withdrew myself! My heart was never broken in battle!”

Two more figures appeared to his left, face equally shrouded. “But you ran away. You deserted your unit… and ran away. Ran from your responsibilities… and from yourself. Did you not?”

“N-no! No, I didn’t run away!”

Two more appeared on his right. “If you are not running away… then, can you say it? Can you tell us your name?”

“I… I…!”

“Yes… what you are doing is just self-justification. Why do you not see the truth?”

Behind him, another figure appeared… a figure of a familiar woman in red armour. “You still use the sword for destruction. But you are unable to use the sword to protect what you hold dear…”

_Stab._ The words pierced into his heart. Gasping, he sank to his knees.

“I… I know… I know that…” He lowered his head, eyes downcast. “But I’m trying to… I need power for revenge… wait until I get Absolute Power… please wait…”

The six figures closed in to him, surrounding him as though to mock him, towering over him as though he was something small, something insignificant… then, one by one, they faded away.

His eyes widened. “Just wait! WAIT!!”

He reached out with his hands, as though to catch them, but the ones in front of him had all disappeared. No… no, he did not want to be left alone again. He whirled around, reaching out to the woman in red armour… but she, too, faded away, as though without a care for him.

“No… I…” He shut his eyes. “I am… I am…”

But, even as he lowered his head, even as he was left alone in the grey, colourless void… he still could not say his real name.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Like the other two, Cecilia stood facing a tall sceptre in another hall, one with a crystalline head that emitted a passionate orange. Looking up at the statue of a great phoenix dragon with its four fiery wings spread, she approached it and a strong voice sounded in her heart.

_“Small one, you wish for the Guardians’ power, a power too great for human hands… a dangerous power. If you truly are capable of handling it, show me. Show me that you can withstand my blazing fire.”_

A burst of flames. She backed away, hands gripping her magic staff.

Amidst the wall of fire, a grand creature emerged – a phoenix? A dragon? The golden beak sharp, the feathered crest spread from the top of its head, but vermillion leathery hide covered its sleek, muscled body instead of feathers, a row of spikes lined the back of its neck down its back. Talons on its two legs sharp and gleaming, long lizard-like tail ending in purple fire, four great wings of flames spread.

The Fire Guardian Moor Gault.

She opened her beak in a loud cry, a cross between a shriek and a roar. Then, the entire hall erupted in a burst of flames.

Cecilia raised her staff, the blue crest on her left shoulder shining through her clothes, and a magic shield of water circled her. The flames engulfed the shield, like a storm raging around a mountain, but it held on.

Hot… burning hot.

Perspire slid down her face. Another drop. And another. The sides of the shield sizzled, a sharp sound that cut through her heart. She started to pant, drained of strength, yet she forced even more energy into her shield, holding against the sea of flames.

Hot. Burning hot.

But, she told herself, this sea of flames was not as hot as the ones in the burning castle town of Adlehyde when the demons attacked… when screams filled the air, when blood stained the ground red. No, she had survived a sea of flames then, and she could survive another.

Hot… then, the flames faded.

She looked up, surprised. When she released her water shield, she could see the Guardian hovering above her, calm, serene, as her voice sounded in her heart once more.

_“Small one, one who wishes for the Guardian’s power… I accept you have the strength to receive the power of Fire in your body.”_

_Thank goodness,_ she thought as she relaxed, her staff lowered.

_“But, to control it, you must have the strength of heart as well.”_ Moor Gault growled. _“Show your heart, small one… show your strength by overcoming my test.”_

Another sea of flames. Cecilia gasped and raised her staff once more… but there was no time. As the flames engulfed her, she shut her eyes tightly.

A moment passed. But nothing happened.

When she finally looked up once more, she found herself in the throne room of Adlehyde Castle, the blue carpet lining the grey stone floors, the light of the chandeliers bright against the blue banners bearing the insignia of Adlehyde, with no one around but her.

But that was impossible… why was she in Adlehyde Castle? Wasn’t she at the Guardian Temple, facing the blazing flames of the Fire Guardian?

“A princess goes on a journey to save the world. We are much obliged.” A female voice, yet there was no one there. “But you are the princess of Adlehyde… nothing more. You must fulfil your duty.”

Nothing but a princess… the words struck deep in Cecilia’s heart. But she tried to straighten her back, hold her head up high. “I know… I understand that. It’s my choice… I’m–”

“No one in this castle calls you by name… you’re not wanted.”

The words cut deeper, breaking her brave facade. “N-no! I don’t want to think that! I won’t accept it!”

“You know this is the truth. No one loves you. Why are you surprised?”

A person materialised before her, a familiar person in a glimmering silk dress, with long golden hair. Cecilia suddenly realised she was looking at her own face, at herself before she cut her hair.

“Y-you…” she gasped. “You are… me…”

The other Cecilia shook her head with a condescending smile. “You started on a dangerous journey. Why? For love? To fulfil your duty as a princess? Why?”

“B-because I… I…!”

“The truth is you just wanted someone to worry, someone to confirm you are loved. You left for danger, you cut your hair in front of everyone… everything was selfish.”

“N-NO!” She clasped her hands over her ears, as though it would shut the voice away. “I just… I just…!”

“You sing for peace in the middle of a broken city in hopes of receiving someone’s love… you are a terrible princess, a hypocrite.”

The words continued to cut into her, again and again. Tears welled up in her eyes… yet, deep in her heart, she could not refute the words. She wanted warmth, she wanted to be loved, she wanted someone to call her Cecilia, not Cecilia the princess… but was that wrong after all…? Someone… someone please tell her…

She felt arms around her, arms belonging to the other Cecilia.

“It’s impossible,” the other Cecilia said, “Because nobody loves you. Just accept it. Don’t look to me for sympathy… because you must realise you do not even have the ability to love anyone.”

Finally, hands clasped tightly over her ears… Cecilia broke down and cried.

-o-o-o-o-o-

In a flash of light, Rudy, Jack and Cecilia were back in the Guardian Temple hall with the turquoise glowing sceptre, where an anxious Hanpan was waiting. But, even as he ran up and down shouting their names, they did not respond.

Cecilia’s head leant on her knees, tears running down her cheeks, hands clamped over her ears.

Jack was on his knees, head lowered, hands on the floor as though for support. His sheathed katana remained on the ground, as though forgotten.

Rudy lay unmoving, eyes tightly shut, hands clutching his chest as though stabbed with a knife.

Silence.

Slowly, the hall darkened. Above them, three large shadows hovered, that of a reptile, a tiger, a phoenix dragon.

_“Schturdark’s shaman and her warriors…”_ The voice was quiet, resonating in their hearts. _“Why are your hearts so weak?”_

Silence.

Cecilia slowly raised her head. “The test the Guardians assigned us… did we not pass…?”

A growl. “ _Decay of the world means decay in people’s hearts. It makes us wonder… is it wise for us to place our power and the fate of the world in your hands?”_

Jack slowly rose to his feet, then swung an arm. “Such selfish words! I showed my strength to you, why aren’t you satisfied with it?!”

A sigh. _“But we are the powerless existence. We have lost most of our power to support this world… the heart is too weak…”_

Rudy opened his eyes and pulled himself up, but said nothing as he lowered his gaze.

Cecilia stood up trembling, but her eyes focused directly on the shadows. “The Guardians’ voices, they reach my heart. But this… this is not only their voices… their hearts…?” She shook her head. “Their emotions are in my heart along with their voices… their anger, sorrow… disappointment, resignation… these are what fill my heart…”

“I’m sick of listening to this nonsense!” Jack shouted. “Accept the strength of my sword, or I _will_ make you accept it!”

The shadows faded.

An orb of blue light shone above. _“Your silent resignation… your false bravado… your roaring anger… they are the evidence of your weak hearts.”_

An orb of green. _“Your hearts are so weak… with such weak hearts, you cannot confront the threat now.”_

A yellow orb. _“But have not the power or a way to confront the threat as well. Filgaia must accept its fate…”_

Jack gasped. “Wait a minute! You can’t judge that from the strength of our hearts!”

_“It was enough to see that humans do not have the power to fight with the demons. Without power, how can you hope to save Filgaia… how can you reclaim the Teardrop?”_

Cecilia’s eyes widened. “The Teardrop… how did you know…?”

_“You need not tell us. We Guardians know, we can feel it. The brilliance of the Teardrop is the heart of this star… the very life, the very essence of this star… now life on Filgaia is doomed…”_

“Y-you mean… the demons will use the Teardrop to put an end to life on this star…”

_“Yes. They intend to revive a great demon, named Mother, by using the life the Teardrop releases. It will mark the beginning of monsters and signal the end of this world.”_

Jack frowned. “Mother… the name of their leader…”

The three orbs flashed. _“Shaman and her warriors! Even though your hearts are weak, we must ask – do you wish for the Guardians’ power?”_

Cecilia closed her eyes. “I am a human with a weak heart. I know this… I always have.” She raised her gaze at the orbs. “And, for this reason, I wish to grow strong! The Guardians’ power that rules this world… I wish for power!”

“You made a fool of us…” Jack clenched a fist. “Of course we want power!”

Rudy’s eyes narrowed as he nodded, hands curled into fists.

A soft growl from one of the orbs. _“You… wish for power because of your weak hearts… then let us not waste anymore time. Shaman, we will place our power with you. Mother’s resurrection is fast approaching; before she awakens, before the demons unify their power and hearts into one, we will transfer you to their castle with our remaining strength._ Y _ou must destroy the steel menace. Taking the Teardrop back from the demons is the only hope of saving this world’s future…”_

Guilt filled the sorceress’ heart. She gave a firm nod, resolving to retrieve the Teardrop back.

_“Now go, Shaman and her warriors. Follow the brilliance of the Teardrop, and fly to the land of snow and terror!”_

A burst of light filled everyone’s sight. When the light dimmed, they expected to find themselves elsewhere, but they were still in the Guardian Temple.

Cecilia shook her head. “We didn’t reach the demons’ castle? But… why?”

Silence. It took a moment for the four orbs of light to reappear above them – one turquoise, one deep blue, one forest green, one crimson – dimmer, weaker.

_“This impact… this pain…”_ The Guardian’s voice was soft, trembling. _“We shall never forget the stroke of Zeikfried’s dark spear. Our remaining strength is not enough to transfer you to the demons’ castle…”_

“Is there any way… can’t we do anything about it?” the sorceress asked.

_“When hope collapsed, the future did as well. Only a miracle will allow us to destroy the demons…”_

Silence.

_“…indeed, a miracle… if that is so, then we should place our last hope in these humans.”_ The orbs grew brighter, stronger. _“Shaman and her warriors, we will try once more to unite our remaining strength. We will transfer you to a sealed land, an island where part of Mother is held… a place where the demons will begin resurrecting her.”_

Another burst of light blinded everyone once more.

Pain. Burning, as though to melt them from the inside. As though to tear them apart, to _rip_ their soul from their body. They screamed, as though to beg for the pain to stop… but the four orbs of light merely floated serenely above them, even as everything faded into darkness.

_“The Teardrop is the brilliance of life…”_ The Guardians’ voices were soft, distant. _“It is a desecration to use it for Mother’s resurrection. We ask of you, Shaman and her warriors, do aught and all to stop the demons from resurrecting Mother!”_

Another flash as the hall returned to normal… but the wanderers were gone.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The hall was dark, still, silent. Nothing moved, nothing made a sound, yet the air was thick with magic… as though a slumbering beast was waiting to awaken.

Zeikfried stood tall, the deep blue of his full armour glistening in the magic light lining the hall, the blue cape billowing as he gazed up at the golden gears holding a sphere of bubbling water. Within, a huge insect-like cocoon curled in slumber, the eyes on the woman-like face closed, the slow, deep breathing filling the hall. It was only a matter of time before she awakened…

A spark of magic from behind. He whirled around, eyes narrowed, hand clenched into fist, and swung hard.

A flash of deep purple light. A loud shatter rang through the hall, and the scattered magic faded into nothing. As he straightened, the glowing purple spear in his hand – the blade nearly as large as himself, the single eye on its handle glancing about – disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

He hissed under his breath. Damn the Guardians. Not only did they spy on the castle, they tried to transfer humans here… even a thousand years after the war, they were still a menace.

“Their transfer…” a female voice filled the hall. “You pierced their power with your terrible dark spear.” Lady Harken, a young woman in red armour, long brown hair extending from her red helmet, crossed her arms. “The humans and Guardians finally came in contact… what will you do, Ziekfried?”

Zeikfried shook his head. “Those who forgot how to fight can only lead themselves to destruction. What do you think of Filgaia? It is a world of waste and decay, a land of weaklings who dare not fight… humans, Elw and Guardians alike.” He clenched a fist. “None of them frighten us!”

A third figure appeared from a warp near them – Alhazad, a large, long creature covered in a white-and-gold robe with a head like a golden helmet, large metal claws and a long blade-like tail extending from below. “You are absolutely correct. The Elw might have been destroyed in the past thousand years, though we cannot confirm their existence. There is some evidence… mostly broken junk buried under soil.” He chuckled. “It will not help the humans.”

A fourth figure lumbered into the hall, the large armoured humanoid lizard form of Berserk, long white mane trailing down his back, the jaws curled into a grin. “Once I stand at the front line of this war, there will be no hope for them! It is amusing to see the weak running. Their screams make me laugh!” A sigh. “But I long for a worthy opponent. That last attack on that human city… that was too easy.”

Lady Harken shook her head. “A truly strong fighter could have taken the Teardrop without all that needless, wanton destruction…”

He snarled. “What?! How dare you! This is a battlefield, and what the strong does is JUSTICE! You should be punished for your tongue–”

“ _Enough_!” Zeikfried growled, drawing immediate silence. He whirled around to face the slumbering cocoon. “Let us have proper silence while we await Mother’s awakening. Yes, the calm before the storm…”

Silence.

He spread his hands. “Here those gathered are four knights. The dream we have is one: to have Mother awaken as our glorious leader once again! But the Guardians’ disgusting three seals…” He faced the others once more. “Who will release the first seal?”

Berserk punched his fists together. “The honour will be mine! I shall make those humans who contacted the Guardians my target.” He shot a glare towards Lady Harken and Alhazad. “Meddle not!” He lumbered off.

Alhazad chuckled. “The mighty Berserk is in high spirits… I cannot be off my guard.” He faded away with a laugh.

Lady Harken turned away, crouched and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

In the empty hall, Zeikfried stood alone once more, gazing up at the slumbering figure. “When Mother awakens, all who live in Filgaia will sleep and never rise again. When the time comes, we Quarter Knights will stand as rulers of this world.” He spread his hands. “We shall be one…”

**End of Chapter Seven: The Power Which Supports the World.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Chinese New Year! Hope this Year of the Ox will be a good one. :D
> 
> Previously I wrote this chapter as part of the last, but I found it too long so I split it into two… and now it feels a little short. Not as short as Jack’s introductory chapter, but still short. Then again, I find that the pacing feels a little better this way, rather than crammed together into one long chapter… but I still wonder if I should have kept it as one chapter. Or maybe I’m just feeling a little fickle minded. x_x


	10. Eight: Sealed Town

**Wild Arms: To the End of the Wilderness**  
**Chapter Eight: Sealed Town**  
Written by Estrelita Farr

The first thing Rudy was aware of was the dull ache in his head, as though someone had struck him with something hard. The howl of the wind filled his ears. He snapped his eyes open only to shut them against the sandy wind, a gloved hand at his face. Everywhere around him was a dry, barren ground with no sign of life. As he pulled himself up, he caught sight of the other three sprawled on the ground and hurried towards them.

Jack gave a groan as he rose to his feet, a hand at his head. “Ugh… where are we?”

Hanpan climbed back onto his shoulder. “I have no idea…”

As Rudy helped her up, Cecilia coughed some sand out of her mouth. “A sealed place… the Guardians told us they would transfer us there, where we must stop Mother’s revival… or so they said.”

The swordsman scowled. “Hey, it’s okay to fight against evil… _but_! Being bossed around by the Guardians on how to protect the world? I don’t like that.”

Silence.

Rudy glanced around. “Where… do we go?”

“I’m not sure… let me ask Schturdark.” Cecilia closed her hands, clasping her hands together, focusing her mind into the abyss where she first heard the gentle voice of Water Guardian Schturdark. There, however, she heard more voices.

_“Go northwest,”_ they said, _“Baskar Village lay hidden there, a village of world protectors.”_

The deep voice of Earth Guardian Grudiev. The sharp, growling voice of Wind Guardian Fengalon. The strong voice of Fire Guardian Moor Gault. Despite their reservations, they had decided to join Schturdark and lend their powers to the humans after all…

Gazing into the abyss, she whispered back to them, “Thank you, Grudiev, Fengalon and Moor Gault. Thank you for lending us your powers… for trusting us.”

From where they woke up, the group headed northwest towards the barren frontier where the wind constantly blew sand in their faces, forcing them to pull their travelling cloaks tight around them, with Hanpan taking refuge in Jack’s pocket. Worry nagged at them, with no food and just barely enough water for another few hours’ walk, but there was no choice but to keep going. At first it seemed as though they were getting nowhere, the scenery of dirt and sand unchanging as the sky started turning a brilliant orange, but eventually patches of grass started appearing here and there. Just as they ran out of water in their canteen, they arrived at Baskar Village.

At first glance it seemed like an old ruin, with parts of the outer walls collapsed as though by a great monster a long time ago. But as they neared, they saw people dressed in brown clothes with feathers in their hair, cloaks around their shoulders to block out the sandy wind. A few buildings made of brown stone and wood sat in the light of the sunset sun, the windows and doors tightly shut, and a totem stood tall in a circle of stones at the entrance, its colourful pattern seemingly greeting the visitors. An eagle flew overhead, great wings spread.

When the wanderers reached the village entrance that was a broken stone arch, they found a few villagers already waiting for them.

“Welcome, Guardians’ warriors, to Baskar Village,” a woman said. “We have been expecting you.”

“You were?” Cecilia shook her head. “But how do you…?”

“Our chief told us you would be arriving. Come, I will bring you to him.”

The travellers glanced at each other, then followed after her.

As they strode along the dirt path, however, they found many eyes focusing on them. Windows opened for the occupants to look out at them despite the sandy wind. Laughing and shouting children stopped playing to stare with awe and wonder. Even the dogs barked at them, tails wagging, and cats peeped from the top of the houses… as though they were from another world. Rudy pulled the cloak tighter around himself as though to hide, and Cecilia constantly straightened hers.

“Why is everyone looking at us like that?” Jack asked. “Do we have something on our faces?”

Their guide laughed. “No, you are the first visitors in such a long time… decades, perhaps. Many of them are seeing one for the first time.”

She led them through the front door of a particular house. Inside, the warmth of a fire in a stone brazier greeted them, the colourful patterned cloth on the walls and the brown patterned rug on the floor made them feel as though they had entered a tepee instead. There, on a rug by the fire, sat an old man dressed in similar brown clothes, with a feathered headpiece plaited into his hair as white as his beard.

The woman gave him a short bow. “Chief, I have brought the visitors.”

He nodded. “Good, thank you very much. Please leave us.”

She bowed once more before leaving.

Once the door was shut, the chief smiled at the group. “I welcome you to Baskar Village. I am the chief. I have been around so long that I have forgotten my name, so call me anything you like, Shaman Cecilia, Rudy, Jack and Hanpan.”

The travellers’ eyes widened.

“How do you know all our names?” Cecilia asked.

“How would I not? I had a dream about you visiting us here at this village, and also about the Guardians and the demons. Of course, it was nothing more than a dream, but I believe a dream is what one makes of it. It was just too vivid to ignore.”

Jack raised an eyebrow. “A… dream?”

The Wind Mouse poked his head out of the coat. “I’ve heard something about this. Those who can hear the Guardians and communicate with them in a dreamlike state are called seers.”

The chief shook his head. “Perhaps you hold too much esteem for me, I am but an ordinary man. But, Guardians’ warriors, you must listen carefully – deep in Mount Zenom lies a keystone, and the ‘Mother’ who the demons seek is sealed within. Destroying the three seals that contain her would be their priority, should they wish to waken the ‘Mother’.”

Jack frowned. “The seals that contain the demons’ boss…”

“Mount Zenom is located to the northeast of our village, but the road there is dangerous at night. I would like to offer my humble abode to you for the night. Rest and regain your strength.”

The sorceress bowed. “Thank you very much, Chief, we appreciate it very much.”

When news that the travellers would be staying for the night spread around the village, suddenly the chief’s living room was bustling with people bringing food, eager for the visitors to try their specialties – fruits of all colours that even Cecilia had never seen before, tender meat of the mountain goats with a sharp spicy flavour that made Rudy jump, delicious creamy cheese that made Hanpan squeak in delight, strong berry liquor that turned Jack’s face red with just a mouthful. It was almost like a festival, with villagers in colourful garlands of flowers dancing to the beat of the bongos and the voice of the singers.

It was quite some time before a few villagers declared the celebration over and started shooing everyone out of the chief's house, finally giving the travellers some peace.

“That was fun, wasn’t it?” Cecilia laughed. “Everyone was so eager.”

Jack scowled. “Well, it was fun until these guys tried to get me to dance… why do people keep asking me to dance? Do I _really_ look like I can dance?”

Hanpan snickered. “Only because they haven’t seen you dance. Why, that was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen, the dance of the intoxicated chicke–” And he was swatted away like a fly.

The boy stifled a laugh, only to freeze under Jack’s glare.

Night passed, and morning arrived with the crow of the roosters. The sun was already up by the time they had finished their breakfast – after yet another rush of eager villagers giving them food and, for some reason, thick cloaks meant for winter – and met with the old chief.

“Thank you very much for your hospitality,” Cecilia said with a short bow. “We really appreciate it.”

The old man smiled. “No, I thank you instead, Shaman and her warriors. You are the hope the Guardians have chosen to rise against the demons… I firmly believe you are the ones who can summon Zephyr and grant us the Western Wind of Hope.”

Jack scratched his head. “Zephyr? Western Wind of Hope?”

“Do you mean the Guardian Lord of Hope, Zephyr?” Hanpan asked. “I heard he disappeared after the war a thousand years ago…”

“That is how the story goes.” The chief shook his head. “But I believe he is not truly gone, only hidden from our eyes.”

“A Guardian Lord…” All eyes turned towards Cecilia. “It means he’s stronger than our Guardians, isn’t he? If we can ask for his help…”

“In that case, speak with the keeper of the Altar of Wind. I believe he should be of help to you.”

After thanking the chief and bidding him farewell, they stepped back outside into the sandy wind, shielding their faces with their travelling cloaks. They strode towards the other end of the village, through a stone arch to an area enclosed with stone walls. At its centre was a raised stone platform with a staircase spiralling around it, reaching high as though to catch the wind. At the base of the stairs, a man nodded at them.

“Welcome, travellers,” he said. “This is the Altar of Wind. You could be Zephyr’s chosen one. Will you stand on the altar and ask for the Western Wind of Hope?”

They nodded.

The man led them up the staircase, then stopped and gestured them forward. They climbed the final few steps to the platform, gasping at the strong wind.

A moment passed.

Nothing happened. No voice, no presence… nothing.

The man shook his head. “I am afraid Zephyr is not yet ready to respond to your call. Perhaps the lost power the Guardians is making this process more difficult…”

The group could only sigh.

“But, perhaps if you gather all the Guardians’ powers from many abandoned Guardian shrines throughout Filgaia, Zephyr may then respond to your call…” He bowed. “Please, Shaman and warriors. I ask of you, please summon Zephyr to render the Wind of Hope.”

The treasure hunter gave a huff. “Huh, sounds like a chore.”

Cecilia shook her head. “But if we can get all of these Guardians together and call the Guardian Lord of Hope, we might be strong enough to fight the demons.”

Rudy nodded.

Hanpan hopped onto Jack’s shoulder. “Well, let’s worry about that later. We should first focus on our task at hand – getting to Mount Zenom.”

-o-o-o-o-o-

Mount Zenom was a short hour-long walk from Baskar Village, across the half-barren frontier with the sandy wind constantly howling around them. However, as the distant mountain range drew nearer, the air grew colder to the point they could see their breaths, to the point the sandy wind turned into a snowy wind – no wonder the Baskar villagers gave them thick cloaks meant for winter. By the time the ground started sloping up for a climb, all they could see around them was white snow blanketing the mountain path, a bone-piercing chill in the air. When Rudy let out a loud sneeze that made everyone jump, Cecilia responded by casting a magic orange sphere that warmed the air around them a little.

Jack grinned. “Hey, that’s the loudest sound we’ve ever heard you make!”

The boy reddened, hiding his face with one hand.

Cecilia giggled. “Still, I didn’t expect this place to be this cold. I don’t think we’re anywhere on the continent of Arctica… are we?”

Hanpan shook his head from Jack’s coat. “No, I don’t think so. With all that magic in the air, though, this weather could be magic-induced. Which makes sense, considering one of the demon seals is here.”

One of the demon seals that bound Mother… the very mention of it filled them with the urge to hurry. Lapsing into silence, they started walking.

The climb was anything but uneventful. Large lizard-like monsters ambushed them from nearly every corner, with thick green hide that they could barely scratch, though Jack’s flashy strikes and Rudy’s precise shots at their heads or necks ended the fights shortly after they began. As time passed, however, these fights grew longer and more difficult – Cecilia had to take frequent breaks from casting the magic sphere that gave them warmth, forcing them back into the bone-chilling cold. Jack’s movements grew sluggish, Rudy’s fingers became numb. Often they had to stop to rest behind a cliff, away from the snowy wind, desperately building a campfire to warm themselves.

But the climb was easier once the mountain path took them through several caverns. It was warmer inside even without Cecilia’s magic sphere, and without the snowy wind blinding them they could take the lizards down with surprise attacks. The only thing that slowed them down were the darkness, which the sorceress solved by conjuring an orb of light, and icicles growing on the cavern floors, with gleaming sharp tips that discouraged them from crossing, which she melted with her fire Crest magic.

They continued on in this manner, fighting lizards and melting icicles, until they found the path leading up to a narrow upward slope with a large piece of ice suspended between rocky walls.

“Leave it to me,” Cecilia said, raising her staff.

Hanpan squealed. “N-no! Do–”

A burst of flames. The ice melted away… revealing a _gigantic_ boulder that was now free. It charged at them with a loud rumble, ready to crush them.

“Princess!” Jack shouted.

But she stayed rooted on the spot. Eyes wide, mouth gaping, she couldn’t muster the strength to move her legs. All she could do was to stare at the roaring boulder coming towards her–

Something knocked into her. She gasped as they crashed painfully on the ground, breath knocked out of her.

And the boulder rolled harmlessly past.

“Whoa, that was close!” she heard Jack cry.

Hanpan breathed a sigh of relief. “The bigger they are, the harder they fall… if any one of them hits us, we’re goners.”

As Cecilia rose to a seating position, she looked up to see Rudy doing the same, a hand at his head. At that moment she realised – he had tackled her out of the way of the charging boulder. He had put himself in danger… to save her.

She lowered her gaze. “I’m sorry… my carelessness put you all in danger…”

Getting to his feet, Rudy smiled and extended a gloved hand.

She looked up at him. “Why… did you put yourself in danger? For someone like me…”

A pause. His smile faded, eyes narrowed with uncertainty. He opened his mouth as though to speak, but no words came out and he closed it again.

The swordsman shrugged. “Listen, Princess, does he really need a reason to save you? We’re all in this together now, aren’t we? Besides, I think he’d do it no matter who you are. That’s just how he is.”

Hanpan nodded from Jack’s shoulder. “That’s right, I bet it was his upbringing that made him the way he is. Not like a certain person I know…”

A scowl. “You’re never at a loss for words, mouse. You want some rat poison in your next meal?”

The mouse grinned and hopped over to Rudy’s shoulder.

A pause.

Rudy extended a hand to Cecilia once more, who still sat on the ground. She smiled and took his hand to rise to her feet, then she gave him a short bow. “Thank you, Rudy… when you’re in trouble, I will try my best to help you.”

They continued through the caves, encountering more boulders hidden in ice along the way, though this time everyone made sure to stay well out of the way before Cecilia melted the ice with her fire spell. Sometimes the boulder refused to roll down, stubbornly blocking their path, prompting Rudy to blow it up with a few little cherry-sized bombs that packed a punch, after which all that would be left were tiny pieces that rained down onto them.

Eventually in the distant darkness they could see a faint blue. As they advanced, the tunnel expanded into a large cave filled with a soft blue light, which dismissed the need for Cecilia’s orb of light. There, at the other end of the cave, was a slightly raised platform upon which a glowing statue stood high between two braziers blazing with blue flames – the statue of a masculine humanoid with curved horns on the head and a long lion-like tail curling around the clawed feet, the long hair spreading like a cape.

“Thank goodness…” Cecilia said. “The seal is still intact.”

Rudy gazed at the statue. “A… Guardian?”

Hanpan nodded. “Yes, that certainly looks like one. I suppose it makes sense to have a Guardian watch over one of the enemy’s seals.”

The treasure hunter crossed his arms. “Well, looks like the demons aren’t here yet. Let’s get ready before they–”

A portal cut the space between them and the statue. A deep purple colour, swirling slowly as a familiar figure stepped from its centre and sent a low rumble through the frosted ground as it landed. The wanderers gasped.

Berserk. The large, lumbering humanoid lizard-like demon, the white mane spreading from the back of his helmet, the wide armour on his torso gleaming in the light of the blue flames upon the braziers.

Jack snarled. “Y-YOU!!”

Berserk burst into guffaw. “I heard there were humans in contact with the Guardians… I did not expect it was you.”

“What good timing…” Eyes narrowed, he stepped forward, one hand at the hilt of his katana. “I didn’t even need to look for you, _demon_!”

“I am Berserk… but it’s not necessary for you to remember that. Because I will break you together with Mother’s seal–” He whirled around, claws tightened into fists.

_Shatter._

All that remained of the Guardian statue were shattered pieces falling like sparkling tears.

Berserk grinned. “–like this.”

“The… the seal…” Cecilia muttered.

Another guffaw. “Yes, you went on a wasted errand! Humans led by Guardians… what jokes you are.” He punched his fists together, pulling his huge spiked ball on a chain from a brief purple portal. “Well, then satisfy my lust for battle! Until I am satisfied, I will torment all of you!”

Jack charged with a cry, the sheath shining. A burst of wind, a flash of light as he drew his katana into a diagonal slash, but it left a mere scratch on the demon’s breastplate. He cursed as he leapt back, just as the spiked ball crashed onto the ground right in front of him.

_ROAR._ The thunderous cry of the ARM echoed loudly in the cave. From the side a rush of lightning from Cecilia’s staff joined the fray. Another roar, then a diagonal slash. Remembering the bitter taste of defeat from the attack on Adlehyde, the three humans refused to relent, laying on strike after strike.

But Berserk only guffawed. He didn’t even need to move from his spot on the platform where the shattered Guardian statue stood – all their attacks were blocked with a mere raise of his armguard, or did little damage against his breastplate or metal hide. Eventually they stopped and retreated to the back, eyes narrowed, chest heaving.

The demon grinned. “My turn.”

The spiked ball came rushing at them. Rudy stepped in front of the others, ARM raised, only to be sent flying into the wall.

The others cried his name. The swordsman charged once more, sheath shining, and his eyes widened at the sight of the spiked ball rushing past him.

A scream. Cecilia was instantly on the ground, remnants of her magic shield fading away.

“TAKE THIS!” Jack shouted.

Shining slashes, yet nothing but a scratch on the demon’s armour. More slashes, another scratch. And another. And another. He gave a frustrated yell, drawing his shining blade yet again… and all that was needed to send him flying was a single punch to the stomach.

A momentary silence. The three humans pulled themselves to their knees, hands on the ground for support, shoulders heaving, eyes narrowed in pain.

“WEAK!” the demon roared. “Why have you humans not polished your muscle and spirit? Why have you not sharpened your body and mind and become a honed weapon?!”

“This isn’t good!” Hanpan cried. “Don’t we have a strategy?!”

“Even… even if we have to,” Jack gasped between breaths, “I _will not_ show my back to him! Not to these monsters!”

Berserk shook his head. “It’s a pity to hear you brag without any real ability. I shall end your misery. DIE!” The grin spreading once more, he raised the spiked ball–

_Flash._

Light shone from the shattered Guardian statue, filling the cave with its brilliant blue.

“What?!” Berserk whirled around just as a pillar of light engulfed him.

Cecilia gasped. “W-what’s happening?! It’s a trap?!”

“It’s a security system!” Hanpan shouted. “It must be because the seal was released without following proper order!”

The demon struggled, unable to break free of the light. “What is it doing?! Wait… a teleporter! No, I refuse to be teleported!”

Another flash of light.

“Get down!” Jack yelled.

Just as the humans drew back and shielded their heads, another burst of brilliant blue. A moment passed, and the cave plunged into darkness.

When Cecilia’s orb of light illuminated the cave once more, Berserk was gone.

“Did we… survive…?” Her voice was soft, uncertain.

Silence. They pulled themselves to their feet, eyes fixed onto the platform where the shattered Guardian statue stood. A soft blue light came from its centre, flickering as a shaky voice resonated in Cecilia’s heart.

_“My statue may be broken… but my heart is not. Shaman, what little power I have remaining is yours. My harsh but purifying power shall drive back the forces of calamity and chaos, for I am Aru Sulato, the Guardian of Ice. A blizzard of unimaginable cruelty I shall be to the disciples of evil.”_

A flash, like a final burst of strength, then it faded away.

As Cecilia closed her eyes, she could see the Ice Guardian floating amidst the dark abyss, a pale blue humanoid with crystal braces and long flowing white hair. Gratitude filling her heart, she whispered, “Thank you, Aru Sulato…”

Hanpan climbed onto Jack’s shoulder. “That demon, Berserk… it was a stroke of luck that he thoughtlessly broke the seal.”

The swordsman gritted his teeth. “We lost the battle for this seal… to win the war, we need power. Power so that we can fight equally.” He clenched a fist. “We need Absolute Power…”

Cecilia shook her head. “Let’s go on. We might have lost the battle, but this isn’t a complete defeat… two seals still remain.”

The others nodded.

The climb down Mount Zenom was easier now that the snowstorm had stopped, the air growing warmer to the point the wanderers had to remove their thick winter cloaks. The snow melted, leaving the rocky ground wet and slippery.

“So the weather was the Guardian’s work after all,” Hanpan remarked.

By the time they returned to Baskar Village, the place was already basking in the golden sunset sun, the cries of the birds filling the air as they glided overhead to their nests. The villagers came to the entrance to welcome their visitors, cheerful grins on their faces… but stopped at the travellers’ crestfallen looks. The villagers demurely parted to let them pass as they made their way to the chief’s house.

Inside, the wanderers met with the chief, prepared to tell him the bad news. But even before they said a word, he spoke quietly, “I could sense the keystone seal being broken by the demons…”

They turned their gaze away, quite unable to look directly at the chief. Finally Cecilia gave a deep bow. “I’m so sorry… we were not strong enough…”

He shook his head. “Do not despair yet. Though the demons are a step ahead of us, their mission is not nearly finished. As long as one of the three seals remains intact, the heart of Mother will stay dormant and we will have the advantage against the demons… there are still two more. Protect the seal at Saint Centaur.”

The Wind Mouse looked thoughtful. “Saint Centaur… isn’t that a town quite some distance west of Adlehyde Castle Town?”

Jack scratched his head. “Hey, didn’t the Guardians call this the sealed land? By sealed, I take it to mean there’s no way in or out… how do we even get out of here?”

The chief smiled. “Worry not, there is an Elw shrine in the woods to the southwest and another near Saint Centaur. It allows any living being to be transported to other shrines in an instant, no matter how far away they are.”

The others exchanged glances, mouth agape – they already knew the Elw were so technologically advanced that they could do practically anything… but to have devices that could instantly transport one to another faraway place?

As it was already evening, the chief once again offered his home to them to stay the night before leaving for Saint Centaur, which they gratefully accepted. In the morning, after the usual rush of excitement as the villagers gave them provisions for their journey, they spoke one last time to the chief at the village gate.

“The Elw shrine is in the woods southwest from here,” the chief said. “The transfer device has long since lain dormant since the Great Demon War a thousand years ago, but it has been kept in good condition by our shrine keepers for generations. Shaman Cecilia, once inside, materialise the Guardian’s fire to light the furnace and it should be in working condition again.”

Cecilia nodded. “I understand, Chief. Thank you very much for all you have done for us.”

“Now go, Shaman and her warriors, go to Saint Centaur and protect its seal!” He clasped his hands together. “May the Winds of Hope guide you on your way.”

The villagers clasped their hands together as well and repeated the chief’s last sentence.

With that, the travellers turned and left through the broken stone arch that was the village gates, determined to protect the second seal at Saint Centaur.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The hall was dim. Quiet. Every few seconds the deep, hollow breathing filled the air, belonging to the insect-like cocoon submerged in a large sphere of bubbling water, the eyes on the woman-like face closed as though deep in slumber. Suddenly the lips moved, whispering between breaths.

“It is dark… I cannot see anything… I cannot hear anything…” A pause, the slightest movement of the head. “My precious Zeik… my loving children, where are you? Let me see you… let me hear your voices…”

The whisper ebbed away, fading once more into silence that was  interrupted only by the hollow breathing.

Only one witnessed Mother’s partial awakening – what appeared to be a young man in a mixture of black clothes and metal armour, with a sheathed blade at his back and a black bandanna around his messy green hair, the ends of the bright orange scarf around his neck spread like two wings down his back. He stood some distance away, golden eyes gazing at Mother, and shrugged.

“Well, seeing that the supervisors are busy,” he thought aloud, “I wonder how tough it would be. It should be easier than I imagined. It’s annoying to see only the Quarter Knights being important…”

A pause as he nodded several times to himself, as though to confirm a thought, then he curled his hands into fists.

“This is _my_ time, time to have a little happiness! They can underestimate me all they want, until it’s too late – I will become an admired fiend by leading Mother’s resurrection. I must remember to practice my autograph, it’ll be essential for an idol!” He pointed a finger at nothing in particular. “The time is now! Fortune is smiling on me!”

And then he laughed and laughed… with no one in the hall to hear him.

**End of Chapter Eight: Sealed Town.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had fun adding some personalised touches to Baskar Village, and I hope I made it interesting! After going through the “sealed town” hype though, I then realised there was actually a travelling merchant there in-game… ah, but screw him, I’m sticking to my version. xD
> 
> Also, I made some changes to the Ice Guardian and the fight with Berserk! In WA, the seal is the Ice Guardian statue that is already shattered by the time the group gets there, and instead of fighting, Berserk sends a giant spider to fight them. In WAACF, the seal is just a random shiny crystal, and the team fights Berserk. As you can see, I decided to combine both! Because I wondered, in WAACF, why are the other two seals Guardian statues, but this one isn't?


	11. Nine: Not Just Any Kid, But a Lady!

**Wild Arms: To the End of the Wilderness**  
 **Chapter Nine: Not Just Any Kid, But a Lady!**  
Written by Estrelita Farr

The Elw shrine was an hour’s walk from Baskar Village, a building that the wanderers could see from afar even before they entered the woods – three grand pillars rose high above the trees, the one in the middle larger than the other two, like brown stone blades reaching for the sky. The first thing that greeted them was the roars of water gushing out from the walls, splashing into the river flowing below a bridge. Orbs of white light floated atop stone braziers, lighting the way up the spiral staircase framed by leafy tree roots hanging down from the high ceiling. Through the door at the top was a long hall, another bridge crossing over the water with a large white symbol carved onto the stone.

And there, on the other end, was a device, a raised circular platform made of metal, the centre glowing green. Four unlit metal braziers surrounded the platform, while a wall of pipes and gears at the back rose all the way to the high ceiling. Short metal stairs led to the top of the platform, as though to invite the group up.

They sighed as they mustered the courage to step onto the platform, especially after remembering their last transfer. Cecilia called out to Fire Guardian Moor Gault and drew her power to light the four braziers with flames as green as the glowing platform.

A burst of light. They gasped, shielding their eyes as the light grew brighter and brighter. It engulfed the entire hall, as though to devour them alive, then shot upwards towards the ceiling.

And there, on the platform, the group was gone.

Outside, as far as eyes could see, the light burst from the shrine’s middle pillar, piercing the sky like a sword. Higher and higher through the sky, through the clouds, into the darkness among the gleaming stars. A metal device hovered above, as though waiting, with shining metal plates spread like wings that caught the sword of light and guided it to the side. Some distance away, a similar metal device guided it back down towards the glowing blue and green world that was Filgaia.

The sword of light pierced the sky once more and struck the middle stone pillar of another Elw shrine.

Inside the hall, across another platform with blazing braziers, the three humans and the Wind Mouse lay sprawled as though thrown there without a thought.

“Ugh…” Jack groaned. “I’m never going to get used to this transferring thing…”

All Rudy could do was to nod from where he lay, eyes tightly closed.

Hanpan shook his head as he got to his feet. “Well, I heard in those days transferring was perfectly normal for the Elw… let’s just hope we’ll eventually get used to it.”

Cecilia slowly sat up, a hand at her head. “I really hope so… because I have a feeling we’re going to do this often.”

The second Elw shrine was identical to the first, with the same roaring waterfall and the bridge over the flowing water, except it had a different symbol carved onto the stone. Once the travellers exited the shrine and the woods around it, they headed north.

From afar, Saint Centaur seemed more like a grand stone castle rather than a town, with its high walls and its vantage location atop the northern cape of the continent, with a path leading to its large entrance gate.

As the wanderers reached the path, they relaxed – there should be no more monsters after this point. They chatted among each other as they walked, making plans for lunch–

–and slammed face first into a gleaming barrier that sent them flying back.

They were back on their feet in an instant, rubbing their aching heads, but they could see nothing in front of them. Just a regular stone path leading to the gate.

“What happened?” Cecilia wondered aloud.

Then they heard a cry from beyond the gate.

“The alarm’s been sounded!”

“A monster’s attacking!”

Several people in teal long coats came running, weapons raised, but they stopped when they saw the travellers. They scratched their heads.

One man stepped forward and spoke to the wanderers. “Saint Centaur is protected by a magical barrier, that way no monster can sneak inside. You look like humans, but are you really a monster…?”

Jack shook his head. “I’m a human. Look at my long legs, see?” He held Hanpan up by the scruff of his neck. “Do his short legs bother you?”

“The magical stone of Saint Centaur distinguishes monsters and spirits and keeps them from coming into the city. Is that your pet?”

“P-PET?!” Hanpan spluttered, flailing wildly in Jack’s hold. “I’ve never been so insulted in all my life! Why, I oughta–”

“He’s my partner,” Jack quickly answered, “Not a pet. He may be short, but he’s a good ‘man’. If I’m partnered with him, I can’t get inside the city?”

The man in the coat sighed. “Well, just don’t let him scurry around. It’s best to keep him on a short leash. A spirit will make the wall react, but if he’s held by a human he might get by… although if he’s indeed a horrid monster he’ll be stopped by the stone, and you’ll have us sheriffs to answer to.” He turned towards his subordinates. “Everyone, move out!”

The people in teal coats dispersed, allowing the travellers through.

Jack grinned as he put the Wind Mouse back on his shoulder. “You hear that, pardner? Good thing you’re not a horrid monster.”

Hanpan crossed his arms. “It’s not that I’m not ferocious like a monster, it’s just that I’m artful and intelligent too!”

The treasure hunter rolled his eyes. Rudy broke into a grin, and Cecilia giggled.

Now that they are free to enter the city, that was what they did. They hesitated just before the barrier, as Jack squeezed Hanpan into the deepest part of his pocket, though thankfully this time they weren’t sent flying back.

Past the gates, the city seemed to be made entirely of stone – with stone streets that covered the ground as far as eyes could see, brick houses that lined the sides of the streets, and high walls that shielded the town. Workers rushed up and down the streets, avoiding the people shopping or chatting around the marketplace. There was this cheerfulness amongst the crackling magic in the air, perhaps due to the fact the people didn’t need to worry about monster attacks. However many of the patrolling sheriffs in teal coats were grim, as though saddled with a problem.

In the central square, an imposing statue of a centaur stood upon a pedestal. With the muscular torso of a man covered in ancient markings connected to the body of a griffon, rearing on its strong lion-like hind legs. The talons on its front legs extended like a swooping hawk, as it raised a staff above its head.

Cecilia looked up at it. “That statue… is that a Guardian…?”

A nearby sheriff turned towards them. “Yes, that is the Holy Guardian that protects this town, Ione Paua. The statue contains a magic stone inside that forms the magical barrier on the city walls.” He lowered his voice. “Legends say it also contains a seal of a demon queen’s heart… though how true that is, we don’t really know.”

They thanked him for the information and stepped away.

“All we have to do is protect it, right?” Jack asked. “But who knows when they’ll come?”

Cecilia shook her head. “We don’t… but we know for sure they will be coming soon.”

“Well, the question is… how soon?”

Rudy shrugged.

With nothing else to do but wait, they decided to kill some time in town. The first place they stopped at was the nearest inn, where the innkeeper insisted on giving them rooms with the scenic view of the square and the Guardian statue. They didn’t argue since it would make it easier to keep an eye on the seal anyway.

The next stop was at the ARMs meister’s, after they spent a few minutes waiting for an indecisive Rudy to enter. Once inside, the boy purchased a few boxes of bullets (and quickly shook his head when the meister asked if that thing at his back was an ARM). The other two humans couldn’t help but stare at the _tiny_ ARMs on display, those that were hardly the size of their hands, and Hanpan shrugged, explaining that such small ones were normal. They then turned towards Rudy.

“You really have a gift, Rudy,” Cecilia said in awe.

The boy reddened.

A few steps down the street was a weapons store, at which Jack declared that Rudy’s cheap sword was way past replacing. As they stepped inside, Rudy’s eyes widened at the rows and rows _and rows_ of blades on display – swords, daggers, spears, axes, halberds and whatnots – out of which Jack selected a light sword that he said seemed to be easy to handle. But the storekeeper refused to let them buy “that cheap ol’ thing” and tried to persuade them to purchase a shining golden sword supposedly once wielded by a famous warrior… worth _two million_ gella. All it took to stun him into silence was a single (and deliberately missing) strike from Jack, and they even left the store with a good sizable discount on Rudy’s new sword.

Next, a magic shop. Inside, Cecilia stared at the list of Crest spells on display, and once she finally decided on an Earth spell, the female storekeeper smiled and led her into a private room inside. The men waited, waited and waited… and just as Jack rolled his eyes and muttered “Women!” under his breath, Cecilia returned.

He scowled. “What did you do? Why do you need to go to a private room just to get a new spell?”

Silence. She flushed. “Um…”

The Wind Mouse sighed. “Jack… she’s a Crest sorceress.”

Jack crossed his arms. “Yeah, so?”

“She uses Crest sorcery.”

“Yeah?” He tapped a foot impatiently. “Go on, tell me already!”

“…they engrave Crests on the body, not on articles. Like tattoos.”

“…oh.”

Just like that, they stopped at store after store, purchasing more travelling and camping equipment such as ropes and matches, and ate a hearty lunch of chicken pot pie at a cafe. Everywhere they went, however, there was one topic they heard from just about everyone – the mysterious case of people being spirited away, only to be found again days later without any wounds or health issues, or any memory of the disappearance. That explained the grim looks on the sheriffs, though the victims didn’t seem too concerned; in fact, some of them were so proud of it that they kept retelling the story over and over again.

When the wanderers returned to the central square, outside the sheriff’s office just below the Guardian statue they met the same sheriff that had allowed them into Saint Centaur.

“Oh, it’s you guys.” He shook his head. “Sorry about this morning… it’s just that strange stuff has been happening in town lately, so we’re all a bit on the edge.”

Jack nodded. “Something about strange abductions?”

“So you’ve heard as well, huh? Not surprising since it’s the hottest topic now, aside from that sword of light in the south sky earlier today…”

The wanderers exchanged glances. A sword of light… was that their transfer to the Elw shrine?

Hanpan changed the subject. “How were these people abducted?”

The man sighed. “Well, we don’t know. One day they suddenly disappear and are later found at the Caging Tower southeast of the city, but they don’t remember a single thing about it… at least half the city’s population has been spirited away at some point. We’ve tightened security here, but even some of the sheriffs have been spirited away as well.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah. Every time it happened, we’d check the Guardian’s barrier, but it remains intact day after day. We really don’t know how the people are abducted.” He shook his head. “You look like a group of capable travellers… would you mind checking out Caging Tower? I’ll make it worth your time.”

Jack shrugged. “Eh, why not? We have time to kill.”

“Great. Here’s two thousand gella as a down payment. More than enough to start, eh? The Caging Tower is right to the southeast of the city, just an hour’s walk away. You won’t miss it.”

-o-o-o-o-o-

Caging Tower was certainly difficult to miss, a tall tower of stone that was visible from a great distance away, flanked by a mountain range. Tree roots grew out of the cracks marring the walls and floors, balls of dust floated about as the travellers climbed the ladder to the next floor. Most rooms were dark except those with flickering orbs of light about to run out of magic.

As they climbed floor after floor, monsters that had made the ruin their home blocked their way, growling and snarling, only to be eliminated with one cast of Cecilia’s new earth spell that was a rain of exploding rocks. And if there were any still alive after that, Rudy handled them fairly easily with his new and lighter sword according to Jack’s instructions.

But as they continued to climb, there seemed to be nothing special about this tower, even to experienced ruin explorers Jack and Hanpan. No treasure to be found, no special mechanisms to solve, nothing. It was as though this tower was built without a purpose.

They soon climbed the last ladder to the top floor, with Rudy helping Cecilia up. Unlike the other floors the hall before them was brightly lit, with blazing torches lining the side walls, with transparent glass balls atop four bronze pillars surrounding the large symbol engraved onto the floor. Slowly they advanced, hands already at their weapons.

Then they stopped.

At the other end of the hall, _something_ appeared from a warp. Seemingly human at first, with the golden full helmet and the long white-and-gold magic robe, but the body was long, like that of a four-legged creature. Large metal claws extended from below the robe, gleaming in the light of the torches, the metal tail ending in a blade.

“YOU!!” Jack snarled, hand immediately at the hilt of his katana.

The creature laughed. “A human who remembers me? How rare, especially considering most do not live long enough to, hahaha…”

Cecilia shook her head. “Who… is this?”

“Ah, my apologies, please forgive my terrible manners. I am Alhazad. I have travelled here to remove the seal from the human city Saint Centaur. Berserk told us about you, humans led by the Guardians.”

Hanpan’s fur bristled. “Another demon?! How many have come back to life?!”

He chuckled. “Contrary to my appearance, I am not violent like Berserk. Still, it would be wise not to waste time here… for those experiments, I ask for silence.”

The sorceress’ eyes widened. “Experiments?! What are you–”

Alhazad raised his claws to the front, between which a swirling purple sphere formed. “Perhaps I bore you? No matter, I will unleash the beast sealed in this tower, the beast named Night Gaunt.”

The swirling purple sphere grew and grew, revealing a dark portal in its middle. Once it grew larger than the Guardians’ group put together, a large creature appeared – a flying bat-like beast, with wide fin-like wings flapping at its sides, sending bursts of wind at them as it hovered high in the air. Jack couldn’t reach it with his katana from below… but his Speed Fang could.

A burst of blue and the arc struck it cleanly on the chest. It roared as it flinched, blood dripping, then charged at Jack with talons raised. But he merely grinned as he sidestepped and let it rush past him.

_ROAR._ The thunderous shot of the ARM tore a hole in the creature’s wing. It roared again, frantically flapping its wings to stay in the air, then Cecilia’s magic fireball exploded and forced it onto the floor. No amount of flapping would let it fly once more, leaving it as a sitting duck to its enemies.

“That is enough,” Alhazad suddenly said, waving a glowing purple claw. “Return to your seal, Night Gaunt.”

The beast growled, struggling against the purple light swirling around him, but within seconds a strong blast of wind pulled it towards the dark portal and it disappeared away. Chuckling, Alhazad floated backwards.

Jack’s narrowed golden eyes now focused onto the demon. “You… I can’t let you escape! Harrrgh!”

He charged with a loud cry, sheath shining, and the others followed suit. He closed the distance with light, rapid steps, teeth clenched, and leapt high into the air.

“TAKE THIS–”

_Flash._

Jack struck something and crashed onto his back.

A barrier of blue light had surrounded them. Lightning sparks circled the four bronze pillars, the glass balls above now shining bright.

“A… a barrier?!” Hanpan cried.

The demon chuckled from beyond the barrier. “Exactly… the small one is smart.”

Jack hissed under his breath. He gave another cry as he lunged and punched the barrier as hard as he could, only to be repelled. Again he tried, again the barrier repelled him.

“Well, well…” Alhazad shook his helmeted head. “You _are_ simple-minded. I am not Berserk.”

The swordsman glared at him, a fist raised. “Let us through!”

“Certainly not. I want those led by the Guardians to see the result of my experiments.”

“You have no intention of attacking us, just to prevent us from leaving?!” Cecilia shouted. “You’re toying with us!”

Another chuckle. “The barrier will dissolve as time passes, so enjoy your time inside… I must now take my leave.”

Even amidst Jack’s protest, Alhazad disappeared into a warp.

Jack gave another frustrated cry and drew his katana in a flurry of shining slashes, but the barrier remained intact. Cecilia tried all kinds of Crest magic on it – a burst of flames, a high-pressure sphere of water, a rush of wind, a rain of exploding rocks – but nothing worked. Rudy tried punching it, once, twice, then shook his head… but as he straightened, his gaze paused at one of the sparking pillars just above him, the glass ball shining serenely. He aimed his ARM at the orb–

“N-NO, DON’T!” Hanpan squealed. “The bullet might ricochet and hit us instead! Look!”

They looked. Though faint, they could see it if they stared at it – the barrier spreading over their heads.

“The seal at Saint Centaur!” Cecilia cried. “We must do something!”

Jack nodded. “We’ve got to get out of here! Hanpan! Is there a way out?!”

“I’m thinking, I’m thinking!” The Wind Mouse shook his head. “Give me a second!”

Silence.

Suddenly Rudy whirled towards the hall entrance, hand on his ARM. The others followed suit.

Two figures approached. First was an adolescent girl, dressed in an orange frock that exposed her shoulders, a blue ribbon in her long golden curls and another around her neck. She grinned as she stopped, hands at her hips. “According to my information, the Night Gaunt must be here… I can already smell the reward money!”

The other was a tall middle-aged man in a formal black suit, silver hair short and sleek, a sheathed sword at his side. With a stoic, grim look and a straight, formal posture, he glanced at the party trapped in the barrier. “Indeed, Milady.”

She took a second look. “Huh? What’s this? These careless people are the savage and vicious Night Gaunt?”

“These people look like… us. Moreover, it seems they are in trouble. What would you like to do, Milady?”

Jack walked up to the barrier. “Well, if you can do something, of course we want you to do it!”

The girl frowned. “You want to get out? You want _me_ to get you out? We’re treasure hunters as well, you know, we don’t work without getting paid. I need some sort of reward…” She scanned them up and down. “Honestly, how much do you have with you?”

Cecilia gasped. “You’re asking us for _money_?! We’re here on the Guardians’ guidance to protect the demon’s seal… to bring back peace to Filgaia!”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, please, not another one of those hero-wannabes…”

“No, we’re not! We really–”

She held up a hand. “Stop! I’m not interested in your ‘extraordinarily cool’ situation! I just want a reward. Do you know about rewards? We help you, you pay us a reward. It’s a simple concept.”

Jack heaved a sigh. “She may be a miser, but she has a sound argument…” He looked up. “How much do you charge?”

“Well… how about five thousand gella?”

A strangled gasp. “F-FIVE THOUSAND?! We can’t pay that much! You’re crazy!”

A shrug. “You know, the value of life has a fluctuating exchange rate… understand? I don’t care what happens to strangers. So, five thousand gella or not?”

The trapped group sighed. It seemed they had no choice… Rudy nodded at the girl, holding up five thousand gella notes, at which her eyes shone.

She grinned. “Okay, just leave it to me!”

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small hand-sized weapon with a single metal barrel, which Rudy couldn’t help but stare – another ARMs user? She took aim at one shining glass ball atop a pillar and fired six rapid shots.

_Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang! BLAM!_

The familiar thunderous roar of an ARM, rapid yet quieter and higher pitched than Rudy’s. The glass ball exploded into flames and a cloud of black smoke. The blue barrier flickered, once, twice, then faded completely to allow the girl to run through and grab the gella notes in Rudy’s hand.

“Thank you very much for your business!” she cried, quickly stashing the money away in her dress before giving them a grin. “I’m Jane Maxwell. Around here, I’m famous for my beauty.”

The silver-haired man nodded. “Around town, Milady is well known as Calamity Jane.”

She shot a glare at him. “I don’t like that name! Magdalen, don’t say another word!”

Magdalen stepped back with a bow. “Excuse me…”

Jack frowned, arms crossed. “This kid is the famous hunter Calamity Jane?!”

Jane frowned as well, hands on hip. “Not a kid, but a lady! If I’m a kid, then you’re a troll!”

Another strangled gasp. “A-A TROLL?! Why you–”

_Flash._

They all looked up as another dark portal appeared, from which three Night Gaunts emerged. One of them had a partially torn wing, but the hole in it had healed, allowing it to fly among the others.

“We don’t have time for this!” Jack cried.

The sorceress gripped her staff. “Did the seal break? Or did it react to the barrier?!”

The three Night Gaunts roared and charged at them–

_Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang!_

The rapid higher-pitched roars of Jane’s ARM forced the beasts to recoil. She joined the Guardians’ group with a grin. “Well, we should help them, it may be an easy reward!”

Magdalen nodded, the drawn sword held in front of him. “Very good, Milady.”

A cohesive roar came from the three Night Gaunts.

Jane was fast on her feet, matching up to Jack’s non-Accelerator speed while sending precise rapid fire shots across the battlefield. She skidded to a stop as a Night Gaunt blocked her path, but Rudy stepped in front of her, ARM raised to catch a falling claw swipe, and she took the chance to fire all six shots at it. The creature snarled, reeling from the bleeding wounds, only to fall from four more explosive shots from Rudy’s ARM.

Cecilia conjured a rain of explosive rocks that crushed another Night Gaunt. It roared as it rose once more, murderous eyes focused onto her, until Jack rushed in with a powerful upward slash, the katana shining a blue light. As the beast snarled, it looked up just in time to see Magdalen’s equally shining sword slamming down onto it, the floor trembling from the impact.

And the third Night Gaunt never had the chance to strike even one of its enemies as they ganged up on it.

Them straightened as they kept away their weapons. Magdalen took a moment to slice a wing off one of the Night Gaunts and rolled it before stuffing it into a bag.

Jane grinned. “All in a day’s work! Sorry, we’re leaving now. We’re busy, you know! Let’s go, Magdalen!”

With that – and a quick bow from Magdalen – they were gone, like a whirlwind.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Remembering the seal at Saint Centaur, the Guardians’ group hurried down the Caging Tower as well. They sped across the barren plains, stopping only to deal with monsters blocking their way or to catch their breath. They wished they had the Guardians’ ability to transfer instantly to places, they wished they had the ability to fly… but all they could do was wish as they sped towards the stone city in the distance, hearts banging against their chest as the clock ticked at the back of their minds.

When they finally arrived at the gates of Saint Centaur, their footsteps loud against the stone road leading to the entrance gate… they stopped.

Still. Nothing moved. Not even the air that once crackled with magic of the Guardian’s barrier.

Silence. Nothing made a sound. Even the marketplace that was once filled with all kinds of sounds.

A chill ran up their spines. They stepped inside slowly, cautiously.

Empty. The streets were devoid of humans and animals… not even a bird was left chirping in the trees. Tools were left in the blacksmith, the forge blazing. The scent of baking bread filled the air, the buns on the trays still warm. The plates on the cafe tables were filled with food, the utensils dropped as though in the middle of a meal.

As though everyone had been spirited away at once.

At first all the wanderers could do was to stare. Then, as the truth sank in, they turned away, eyes tightly closed.

Jack slammed a fist onto a wall. “ _Damn them_! Damn those demons! We’re always just a step behind them…”

Silence.

“The Guardian…” All eyes turned towards the sorceress. “I wonder what happened to the Holy Guardian?”

With no answers, they walked towards the square where the statue stood. The streets were silent, the very same streets that were once filled with people and animals, with chatter and sounds, with cheerfulness and excitement… the very same streets they had walked a mere few hours ago. Now, with no barrier to stop them, monsters that roamed the wilderness wandered about, scavenging the houses and stores for food, leaving the travellers to wonder if there was even a single survivor left…

There, on the pedestal where it had once stood proud, the statue of the Holy Guardian was now in shambles, with only part of its body intact. As they approached, a quiet, weak light surrounded what remained of the statue.

_“Shaman…”_ The sorrowful voice spoke directly into Cecilia’s heart, trembling. _“I am Ione Paua, the Guardian who presides over holiness… my statue has shattered, the magical stone crushed. I cannot forgive this…”_

Jack clenched a fist. “They only had to destroy the magical stone to get rid of the barrier and let the monsters in…”

On his shoulder, Hanpan shook his head. “What I don’t understand is, in order to destroy the magical stone, they had to break the Guardian statue… but how were they able to sneak past the barrier to break it? From what I’ve seen, we’re nowhere near the truth of the matter. It just doesn’t make sense…”

“So this is the demon’s experiment we heard in the Caging Tower…”

Rudy’s eyes closed, hands curled into fists. “Maybe… maybe those random abductions were tests… to prepare for this day…”

Silence.

The light faded slightly, then grew brighter as though to exert the last of its strength. _“Shaman, what little power I have left… I will give it to you. I give you the future of the world…”_

And the light disappeared entirely from the statue.

But, inside that dark abyss, Cecilia could feel the Holy Guardian’s presence. His voice quiet, sorrowful, he guided them to their next destination. _“What connects the Guardians and the seal is a shrine built by the Elw… there is another hidden in the forest.”_

She closed her eyes. “Thank you, Ione Paua…”

However, without knowing the exact location of the Elw shrine, they set out to find a map of some sort, and as they cleared the street of more monsters, Rudy quietly suggested looking for one in the sheriff’s office just below the broken Guardian statue.

Inside the small stone building, the furniture was upturned, with bloodstains across its surfaces, as though a battle had taken place here. Books and papers scattered about the floor, as though without a care, and the group searched through them in hopes of finding a map. Among them was a freshly written report, the white paper covered in bloody handprints.

“Monsters suddenly attacked our city,” the report said, “Our magical stone’s protection is still functioning right until now, yet monsters appeared all over town as if they simply sprang into being. Despite our desperate battle, we are losing and the Guardian Statue may be destroyed. Unless we can stop them, the magical stone will be lost, and more monsters will appear. I hope the people of Saint Centaur who managed to escape will go to the Elw Shrine north of the Caging Tower. I heard it was once a transfer device. It might not have worked for a thousand years, but it is our only hope…”

The report ended there, drawing more silence.

Cecilia closed her eyes. “The demons are quicker than us and have gotten further than we have… do we have enough strength to overpower them…?”

Jack shook his head. “We can’t waste time worrying about that. At least, we know what needs to be done. We’ll go beyond the second Elw shrine and stop Mother from being resurrected!”

That was just what was needed to boost their morale.

Rudy straightened, hand reaching for his grandfather’s ARM as though to ask for strength, and nodded.

Cecilia placed a hand at her collarbone, where the Teardrop used to be, and straightened as well. “We must.”

Hanpan did a little jump on Jack’s shoulder. “Then let’s go! The Elw Shrine is just north of the Caging Tower!”

They all exchanged nods. Then, with one final glance at the empty town – the second town they failed to protect – they turned and faced the wilderness once more.

-o-o-o-o-o-

In the dim hall filed with the deep, hollow breathing of the slumbering creature in the cocoon that was Mother, the feminine face gave the slightest movement before whispering, “I hear… a distorted voice in pain… sorrow filled with grief… screams by foolish and humble humans that spark joy in the voices of my servants, that will release me from the chains of the seal…”

Zeikfried gazed up at Mother, his full armour gleaming, the blue cape billowing in a hidden wind. “A little longer… and I will finally have Filgaia in my hands.” He whirled around to face the other three of the Quarter Knights. “When Mother awakens, her dream becomes reality and she shall preside over this planet…”

Alhazad nodded, wriggling his golden claws beneath the white magic robe. “That is the likely outcome. Still… there is that nagging worry in my mind about those humans led by Guardians. Though they are small and weak, I sense a power we should not underestimate.”

Lady Harken crossed her arms, a frown on her grim face, her red armour gleaming in the light. “Unfortunately, I agree. They were Berserk’s prey… and of course, as we have heard, he failed. They were beyond the braggart’s ability.” She shook her head. “No matter. I will overtake them, and I will have better results than he did.”

Berserk clenched his lizard-like jaw and growled, curling clawed hands into fists. “You cannot do that! You big-mouthed newcomer–”

Zeikfried’s eyes narrowed. “Berserk… you claimed them as your prey. As such, it is your fault you failed to subdue them. Humans and Elws can show unbelievable power when they are cornered.” He swung a hand forward. “Mother will be awakening soon and we will be activating the Photosphere. Any failure is absolutely unacceptable.”

“Zeikfried, are you mocking me as well?! _Fine_! I will bring the heads of the humans and lay them down in front of you! Even if they are led by the Guardians, I shall destroy them anyway! Mark my words!” He turned to the other two. “They are mine. _Do not_ touch them.” And he stormed off.

Alhazad shook his head. “No one can defeat Berserk when it comes to a head-on fight, even amongst us… still, he is too short-tempered, too pathetic to look at. Perhaps I shall devise a plan to finally destroy those humans and Guardians…”

“As you like.” Lady Harken shot him a glance. “But a word of advice: make it simple enough even for him.”

The robed demon chuckled before fading into a warp. Then Lady Harken crouched and disappeared in an instant.

Zeikfried spun around, the blue cape billowing in a hidden wind, gaze focused onto Mother. “Our lost home… it has already been a thousand years since we left Saturn Hiades… we came here, to this place, to make Filgaia our second home. Those who have power will have everything…” He clenched a gloved fist. “We will govern this planet… only then will our dream come true.”

As he strode away, Mother smiled.

**End of Chapter Nine: Not Just Any Kid, But a Lady!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, the way everyone disappears from Saint Centaur, coupled with the quiet “Ruined Town” soundtrack, is eerie. :(


	12. Ten: The Sweet Candy

**Wild Arms: To the End of the Wilderness**  
 **Chapter Ten: The Sweet Candy**  
Written by Estrelita Farr

Another sword of light pierced the sky twice, from an Elw shrine near the now empty town of Saint Centaur to another, and once again the wanderers lay sprawled across the floor. Sighing to themselves, wondering when they would ever get used to transferring, they pulled themselves to their feet and exited the shrine, emerging in the sunset sun.

This time they were in the open, the three stone pillars on a high cliff overlooking the sea, the air salty, the ground barren with no hint of greenery anywhere. And there, in the distance along the coastline, was a port town surrounded by ships.

The sun soon disappeared beyond the horizon, leaving them in darkness, but being able to see a cluster of lights that was the port town, they decided to push forward with Cecilia’s orb of light overhead. They said nothing on the way, mentally drained from the day’s events, though thankfully it didn’t take long to arrive at Port Timney.

While other towns were hustling and bustling, Port Timney seemed even more so – even though it was already dark, the streets were brightly lit with lamps atop metal poles and simply bursting with people chattering and shouting due to the night market. After the empty streets of Saint Centaur, the familiar sounds of a bustling town helped the wanderers to relax and lift their spirits.

Entering the nearest inn, they booked two rooms for the night and placed six orders of chow mein for dinner (“Again?!” Jack cried), which was quickly changed to six orders of hamburgers. Moments after they settled in their seats around a table, their dinner arrived – six _huge_ hamburgers larger than Hanpan, whose eyes popped at the sight. Cecilia threw a glare at Jack and Hanpan, warning them not to start another ‘war story’ about hamburgers this time, and the duo merely grinned and promised nothing.

Dinner ended with everyone staring at Rudy’s plate… on which three-quarters of the huge hamburger remained.

“You really don’t eat much, do you?” Hanpan remarked.

Rudy reddened. “N-no…”

Jack heaved a dramatic sigh and waved a finger at him. “Rudy, as swordsmen, we need all the strength we can get – especially from a good hearty meal! Besides, you’re still at a growing stage – you’re, what, fifteen? I forget – how can you grow tall and strong with eating only that much? Look at Hanpan’s size and how much he eats!”

Hanpan groaned. “Why are you even comparing us? I’m a Wind Mouse!”

“Well, that’s beside the point! The point is”–he stabbed a finger towards the boy–“ _you_ need to eat more!”

Rudy shook his head. “B-but I’m full, really…”

“Ah, I don’t believe it! Go on, take another bite!”

“B-but I really can’t–”

“C’mon, do you want to grow tall and strong?!”

“I do, b-but–”

“Then go on! Take another bite!”

Rudy sighed – it seemed there was no stopping Jack. He stared at the three-quarters of a hamburger before him, like a warrior sizing up another. Slowly, he lifted it up and a slice of tomato slid onto the plate, bright red, followed by two onion rings. He looked up, finding Jack’s expectant eyes on him, and slowly brought the hamburger towards his mouth…

…no, he couldn’t. Face a little green, he returned the three-quarter-hamburger back to its plate. “S-sorry… I can’t.”

Jack slapped his head. “Okay, so I guess you really can’t eat anymore.”

Silence.

Cecilia gave a hopeful smile. “Rudy, if you don’t want that hamburger anymore… can I have it?”

The others stared at her, then at her _four completely empty hamburger plates_. Wordlessly, Rudy nodded.

“Thank you!” With that, she devoured the remaining hamburger, totalling her empty plate count to five.

“So…” Hanpan nudged Jack’s elbow with a grin. “Whatever happened to eating more to become tall and strong, eh?”

Jack scowled at him, then swatted him away.

Sometime later when they had rested a little, the travellers started discussing what to do the next day and how they were going to find the third demon seal. With no leads in mind, they eventually started asking around the inn’s restaurant and bar if the people had heard anything, though unfortunately most people there were either too drunk, too engrossed in their own conversations or too annoyed to bother.

Only the innkeeper had something remotely useful to say. “Well, I’m not sure if you travellers know, but Port Timney became prosperous because of the two biggest trading fleets, Drake and Bartholomew. Captain Bartholomew said he recently got hold of a strange statue.”

The wanderers looked up sharply, and Cecilia asked, “Where can we find this Captain Bartholomew?”

He tilted his head to the side. “He’s drinking right over there. He’s the one with that white captain hat and blue coat. You won’t miss him.”

At the very corner of the bar, a short and stocky man sat, dressed in a navy captain coat with a white captain hat on his head, a doleful look on his face. He took a big gulp from his glass and slammed it on the table.

“Oh, how could I be so stupid?! I should have never promised that! When will I learn to watch my mouth?” He looked up as the Guardians’ group approached. “Hey, you!”

They blinked and gestured at themselves.

“Yeah, you! Won’t you listen to the story of a sad sailor?”

It was just as well. They sat around the table as the sailor poured more liquor into his glass.

“Do you know about the crystal flower?” he asked. “It’s something sailors use in ceremonies. For some ceremonies, it’s a must… but to get it, you must defeat the ghost that appears in a desert…”

Cecilia’s eyes widened. “A… a ghost?”

He grabbed his head with his gloved hands. “Oh, why, why did it have to be a ghost?! I can’t face a ghost! Oh, Drake’s going to make fun of me…” His face scrunched up as though he was about to burst into tears. “I’ve been so unlucky lately, ever since I got that stupid statue… I’m such an idiot! Taking a statue like that just because it looks like a Guardian…” He downed his glass and poured more.

The others exchanged glances, eyes shining.

“The statue this weirdo is talking about…” Jack whispered. “It couldn’t be…”

“It may be the last seal…” Cecilia whispered back. “If we can get the crystal flower he is seeking, we may have a chance to get our hands on the seal.”

The four of them nodded at each other, then rose and bid the captain farewell, but the latter was too busy drinking and feeling sorry for himself to acknowledge.

-o-o-o-o-o-

After a good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast, the group of four explored the town as they asked around about the crystal flower ghost in the desert. Most people in town had the same information – that the phantom roamed the desert indefinitely, that using magic of any sort would attract it, and that it would use the same seven spells before vanishing away.

A thoughtful look appeared on Cecilia’s face. “I have an idea… but for that, I need a new Crest spell. Shall we?”

Jack groaned. “Will it take as long as the last one?”

Once they were ready, armed with a new Crest spell, travelling cloaks around their shoulders, they made their way south along the coastline and turned northeast towards the desert. The ground eventually turned into sand, the blazing noon sun burning onto their backs as golden sands stretched as far as eyes could see. As the temperature soared, Cecilia conjured a faint blue sphere around them, which cooled the air to a bearable temperature. And there they stood waiting, hoping the magic sphere would attract the phantom.

A moment passed.

A rush of wind. They looked up in time to see a black humanoid figure, the four bat-like wings spread wide, just before a black cloud enveloped them – the phantom’s first spell, the spread of misfortune. As they escaped the black cloud, coughing, they already felt a sense of dread in their hearts, cold, heavy.

But when Cecilia unleashed her new Crest spell Reflect, which conjured a reflective black-and-white shield, all of the phantom’s spells bounced back onto its caster in a flash of light. When the seventh and final spell struck it, it gave another hollow roar before vanishing, leaving something gleaming on the ground. A small flower made entirely of clear blue crystal.

Cecilia blinked. “Did we… really defeat it?”

“Looks like it did,” Hanpan said as he poked his head out of Jack’s pocket. “That phantom just vanished.”

“Wow, I didn’t expect that to work so well, considering this is my first time with it…”

Jack turned sharply. “You mean you’ve never used it before?!”

“But it worked out, right? We defeated the phantom!”

Rudy nodded, a smile on his face as he held up the crystal flower.

Staring at it, the swordsman scowled. “What’s so great about this flower anyway? This better be worth it…”

It was still early afternoon when the group returned to Port Timney, sidestepping to avoid a horse cart, and to the inn’s bar, where Captain Bartholomew was once again drinking and muttering to himself. At first he didn’t really look up, but when he caught sight of the crystal flower, his eyes widened.

“Wh-WHAAAAT?!” He jumped to his feet, a stocky man just barely shorter than Rudy. “You have the crystal flower?! How in the blazes did– well, it doesn’t matter! Please give it to me! To make a long story short, I reeeeeaally need that! I’ll pay you, uh, three thousand gella for it! That’s enough, isn’t it?”

Rudy paused, wondering what to say, and glanced at his companions.

On the swordsman’s shoulder, Hanpan shrugged. “Jack, this is your department… you handle it.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Jack crossed his arms as he faced the captain. “Considering we went through a lot of trouble for it… we need some time to think about it.”

The captain’s eyes widened again. “Don’t be cruel! Look at my face! Can’t you see I must have it? _Please!_ I’ll give you three thousand five for it!”

“Well, we still need time to think about it.”

“Argh, are you satisfied? Now I’m really begging you!” He held up a fist. “Okay, three thousand seventy five!”

A shrug. “Sorry, still don’t know.”

“WHOOOOA! Pleeeeeaase!” He grabbed Jack’s arm. “I’ll do anything for you! ANYTHING! How about three thousand nine gella? That’s one hell of a deal!”

Hanpan sighed. “Jack… you’re really enjoying yourself, aren’t you?”

“What?” Jack whispered back, but the corner of his mouth curled into a grin. “We need proper compensation for the work we’ve done!”

Cecilia shook her head. “Oh, come on, Jack, don’t be so mean. He must really need it to be asking so much for it.”

Rudy nodded, eyes filled with pity.

“All right, all right, looks like I’m outvoted this time.” Jack turned towards Bartholomew once more. “We’ll take it.”

“YES!!” Bartholomew punched a fist into the air. “Done deal!”

A quick exchange of the crystal flower and gella later, the captain grinned at them.

“Whew, you saved my life!” he said. “This crystal flower is proof of a wedding engagement.”

“Why, then…” Cecilia began.

“No, no, I don’t have a partner yet. I just happened to need this…” He straightened and lifted his cap. “My name is Bartholomew. I sail a trade ship in the Inland Sea. I’m very happy to have met you!”

They spent a moment introducing themselves and shaking hands.

The bar suddenly grew silent. The wanderers looked up as a group of sailors approached, headed by a man in a red captain coat.

“Hey, Bartholomew!” he called with a sneer. “Anyone ever tell you you’re as tall as a dwarf and twice as ugly?”

The sailors in white uniforms behind him snickered.

But Bartholomew grinned. “Hey, Drake, you have perfect timing, I’m in good spirits today! Would you care to see my crystal flower?” He held it up, the petals gleaming.

The bar burst into cheers and whistles, with someone yelling, “Way to go, Bartholomew!”

Drake scowled and shook a fist. “You pathetic loser, Bartholomew! So what if you’ve got a crystal flower? You don’t have a partner, you’re not really engaged!” He straightened, the sneer back on his face. “How are you going to find a partner? You aren’t going to do anything illegal… are you?”

Recoiling from the remark, Batholomew gritted his teeth, hand curled into fist as he stomped a boot on the ground… then, a bright look washed over his face, and he grabbed Cecilia by the elbow. “Drake, you dimwit! Are you blind?! What do you think she is?! Look! Check her out!”

A collective gasp throughout the bar. Then a long silence. Everyone around stared, as did the bartender, mouth hanging as the glass slipped from his hand.

Drake quickly composed himself. “Her? She’s the one? Are things really that bad, girl? I admit, Bartholomew, I’m surprised. She’s beautiful, she carries herself well… not what I’d expect from you at all. Besides, don’t you have a liking for younger girls? Isn’t she a tad bit mature for your tastes?” He shook his head. “But if you say so… she’s your bride-to-be, huh?”

“That’s right!” Bartholomew cried. “We dream of having enough children to make a sports team! And believe me, we’ll work hard at it!”

The sailors behind Drake burst into laughter once more, as he grinned. “A magicball team of five? Maybe nine for a swordball team? How about eleven for a dustball team?” He clapped his hands together. “All right! Let’s get to the wedding ceremony! Your bride isn’t getting any younger! We’ll get you married tomorrow!”

His expression fell. “W-what?”

He pointed a finger at him. “Tomorrow, on your ship, you get married! No cold feet now, Bartholomew… you make us laugh, hah. Let’s have some fun tomorrow, huh?”

With another guffaw from the sailors and a snicker from Drake himself, they turned and left.

Silence.

Then Bartholomew slapped his head. “AAAAAAAAAAGH! I did it again… whenever things are going my way, I have to open my big mouth!”

Jack shrugged. “Not that I care… but how are you going to get out of this mess?”

Cecilia shook her head. “Um, thanks for the offer, Romeo, but we’re in the middle of an important journey.”

The blue-coated captain gave another yell, then straightened and clenched a fist. “There’s no time to find another bride! I must outwit that dimwit! I must marry her – it’s my destiny!”

She gasped. “Did you not understand me?! Destiny? No, you are not! I don’t want you now, or ever!”

He turned to her. “Cecilia, was it? You’re in a situation you just can’t back out of. Come now, let me take you aboard my beautiful ship, the Sweet Candy. We have plans to make…”

“B-but I… I can’t… oh, heavens, what am I to do…?”

Jack leant over and whispered, “Well, think about it this way – on the bright side, if you agree, we’ll get to see if that statue he has is really the third demon seal.”

A sigh. “I don’t have a choice then, do I?”

News of the duo captains’ argument at the bar spread like wildfire throughout Port Timney, and people gathered to see Captain Bartholomew’s ‘bride-to-be’ as he led the wanderers along the stone streets. The people muttered among themselves as they pointed, and Cecilia knew they were talking about her.

She was never adverse to appearing in the public eye – she was raised a princess after all – but at that moment she wished she could just disappear out of sight, yet all she could do was hide her very warm face in her travelling cloak. Oh, heavens, what was she thinking? She was about to be married to some stranger, to a man she just met the day before! What would the people at Adlehyde say? What would her late parents think? What–

At that moment she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Rudy’s kind smile, reassuring her heart, as though to tell her everything would be fine. Next to him, Jack and Hanpan grinned as though to tell her not to worry. She relaxed – no, she wasn’t alone, he had her companions with her. They would help her through this… somehow.

They descended the staircase to the pier, where the air was even saltier than it was in town, the seagulls flocking overhead with their high cries, the numerous docked ships bobbing up and down in time with the sea waves. They strode along the wooden pathways to a large ship, a beautiful mermaid carved onto the bottom of its bowsprit, and crossed the plank to its deck.

“Welcome back, captain!” the sailors cried.

“Oh? Who are they, captain?” one asked.

Bartholomew avoided Cecilia’s icy glare as he announced, “Everyone, this is Cecilia, my bride-to-be! We are to be wed tomorrow!”

Everyone stopped. A few of them drew closer, staring at him and then at Cecilia, then burst into cheers. Many of them hurried over to congratulate them, shaking their hands as they chattered rapidly about how they were worried about their captain not being able to find a wife, about the numerous customs a sailor’s wedding should follow, about the decorations, about the dress – it was quite a while before Bartholomew could finally take the wanderers to his cabin.

As the door closed behind them, he grinned and proudly spread his hands. “Well, now you’re aboard my wonderful ship The Sweet Candy! What do you think?”

“It’s nice, I suppose…” Cecilia said.

“Good, good! Now… to the task at hand.” He cleared his throat. “Us sailors follow traditions when we hold a ceremony. It’s a custom to have a wedding on the deck of the groom’s ship. In my case, on the Sweet Candy.”

She frowned.

He quickly shook his head. “Don’t look at me like that, I had no choice! It’s not like I don’t feel bad about it…”

“If you knew it was wrong–”

He held up his hands in defense. “I know, I know! I do feel bad about it, honest!”

Silence.

He cleared his throat again. “Anyway… a ‘disguise’ wedding ceremony is set for tomorrow. I need you to learn about sailing and our customs by the end of the day… okay?”

She gave a huff and strode out of the room. The others followed suit.

“Ugh, he’s too selfish!” Cecilia cried. “What is he thinking? We are on a journey, an important mission to protect Mother’s seal! Why are we involved in this? I don’t understand it!”

Flustered, Rudy held his hands up in a ‘calm down’ gesture.

Hanpan nodded from Rudy’s shoulder. “Well, he’s right, calm down. Whatever happens we should feel fortunate to be on this ship.”

Jack nodded. “It’s a great opportunity or us. Give it up, Princess.”

Cecilia stared at him. “By any chance… are you enjoying this?”

He grinned. “Well, you know the old saying: when life hands you sour berries, you make berry juice! You might as well enjoy it, since it’s not real. Besides, don’t girls your age have their weddings all planned out already?”

A sigh. “I was too busy studying magic to think about a wedding… and a princess’ wedding is the whole kingdom’s affair, so it’s not like I have much say in it anyway.”

He scratched his head. “Ah, well…”

The Wind Mouse shook his head. “Anyway, we don’t have much time until the wedding. Let’s go and find out whatever we can about the customs.”

**End of Chapter Ten: The Sweet Candy.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While in-game you’ll eventually meet the phantom if you wander around the desert, I added a requirement to meet the phantom (use magic in the desert to attract it) because, well, our heroes can’t exactly wander around the same way we do in the game, can they? It’ll probably take them days or weeks to wander every inch of desert, and they might not even meet it! Good idea, eh? xD


End file.
